Your in perfect world
by ebtwisty9
Summary: He was in perfect control of his life until she swooped in and tricked him. In attempting to exact revenge, he found that maybe imperfections are what make life perfect. ExB. Expl.for title inside, if you're curious.
1. The Business Deal

**A/N: Some one-shots I'll be doing as I practice and try to improve my writing and explore some character situations. Some one-shots may be further edited and incorporated into future stories.**

**Explanation for title: The title is a misspelling/pun of both "You're in (a) perfect world" and "Your imperfect world" (and yes, the either is also on purpose). The title is jipped from a friend. One of the goals of writing this story is exploring the minute differences between a "perfect world" and an "imperfect world". However, this will not be something like "a brave new world" which explored the imperfections and dysfunctionalities of an utopia. Rather, we each have some idea of a person living a "perfect" life - usually, this person is a celebrity of sorts. Some of us may think that they themselves are living the "perfect" life. I'm hoping that this story, despite the years it'll take to finish and the numerous incongruences in my writing style, will be able to play around fluff and mess around with my Edward's idea of the "perfect" life.**

**All recognizable characters, plots, settings, etc belong to their rightful owners. (applies for all future oneshots as well).**

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The phone rang, its shrill sound echoing throughout the small two-room apartment. Once. Twice. The third time, a pillow was thrown haphazardly across the room. It nudged the phone, silencing its cries.

Two minutes later, its sound again pierced the air. Another pillow flew from the bed with greater force. This time, the phone was knocked off the table.

All was quiet for five minutes. And the sound of bells echoed through the room. With a growl, Bella stumbled out of bed, cursing as she fumbled over her cell phone. She tripped over her feet, landing heavily on the ground. "Bella! I'm so glad you're finally up!"

"You must be in Hell, to think I'm up," Bella muttered.

"What?"

"I said 'good morning,'" she tried again. When Alice told her to speak up, she cursed. She had the wrong side of the phone to her ear.

"You better have a perfect reason to wake me up at…" she squinted at the clock, "six in the morning. Or you better start organizing your own funeral. I stayed up until three finishing an article for the _Gazette_."

"Don't be a spoil sport." Bella snorted.

"Don't beat around the bush. What's got your birds a-chirping?"

"I'm having a dance tonight."

Bella groaned. "And I am not going."

"But – "

"No. Last charity ball I went to, a man was convinced I was six and wanted to know what I was doing past my bedtime!" Bella sighed. "Six, Alice. Do I really look that young?" Alice ignored her.

"The Hales will be there. And Mr. Edward Cullen. They only contributed three thousand between them last time…"

"Not going, period." A sob came from the phone. "But Alice, this is the third time you gave me notice the day of!" Another sob. Bella could almost imagine Alice pouting, her big brown eyes wide, tears welling. She groaned again, relenting. "You owe me big time for this." The excited shriek from the other side told her all she needed to know: there was no backing out of this now.

Seven-thirty, sharp, Bella was released from Alice's make-up torture and stood in front of the door of the grand ballroom where the party was taking place. The faint notes of a sparkling waltz greeted her at the entrance. It was, perhaps, the only reason she tolerated these 'rich' social events. She could dance to a waltz, a foxtrot, or even a gavotte, but she absolutely failed at the 'grinding' that was the most popular kind of dance nowadays. People got hurt when she tried.

She poured herself a glass of punch and strolled over to a table partially hidden by the colossal columns placed around the dance floor. She surveyed the multitude of multi-millionaires and billionaires dancing. The rich kept their enemies close, but their checkbooks closer. Her friend was among the few who tried to 'spread the wealth', as she called it. Bella drained her cup, standing up to retrieve more. Her friend could've done with less irritable and arrogant people. Many scrunched their noses when she walked near as if she was a distasteful fishmonger. She sniffed. Just because she wasn't among 'the rich' didn't mean she had to be scorned.

"Hello Miss." Bella started. Glancing up, she saw a tall man standing beside her, scrutinizing her with a pair of sharp green eyes.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I am looking for someone here. Perhaps you know her? She is named Isabella," he answered calmly, his eyes straying to the crowd.

"There probably is more than one Isabella around here." That was true. Rich people seemed to favor old-style names. Something about bringing them closer to nobility.

"She's probably around your age… and I've heard she prefers Bella."

"What do you need her for?"

The man laughed dryly. "Need her? I'm trying to keep an eye on her so she doesn't make me one of her targets!"

"Why?"

"Because the fox can wiggle a nickel from a beggar!"

Bella frowned. "You're talking about donations?" At his nod, she shrugged. "She must be quite clever, if she could extract such outstanding sums." She nodded toward a plump girl on the far side of the room. His eyes followed hers. "She doesn't look it, does she?"

The man shook his head.

"How much did you donate?"

"Five thousand," he answered proudly. Bella snorted.

"You people. Swimming in millions and you consider a mere _five thousand_ to be a lot? It's for the homeless and all the orphanages around the city!" He raised an eyebrow at her outburst. She raised her own eyebrow in reply. She gestured for him to sit. "If you see a business deal worth a million dollars' investment, would you take it?" He blinked, the abrupt subject change left him unbalanced.

"If I think it's worth it? Of course!"

"Even if it failed and you didn't get a penny in return?" she prompted.

"No regrets. A million dollars isn't that much." Bella smiled.

"A million won't leave you heartbroken?" He shook his head, no.

"Alice!" she called out. The hostess visiting the punch table turned. With a cheerful wave, she walked over.

"Yes?"

"I have found you a most wonderous donor. Mr. –" Bella looked toward the man.

"Edward," he supplied, confused.

"Mr. Edward here would like to donate a million to your charity." She was instantly met with two pairs of saucer-sized eyes. Alice turned to the man.

"The charity thanks you sincerely for your most generous donation," she told him.

Awkwardly and unwillingly, he pulled out a checkbook and pulled Bella aside. "I don't recall having agreed to such a sum."

"But you said that losing a million won't hurt you."

"That's because –" Bella stared at him, a secretive smile tugging her lips. He dug himself that hole.

Grudgingly, he wrote a check. When he handed it over, he glared at Bella. "Consider it... a failed business deal," she told him.

"I would watch my back if I were you, Miss Bella," he hissed.

She grinned. "I wait eagerly for your worst," she said simply, bobbing a mock curtsey.

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**Not completely positive all of the plot details are mine. May have read something like this years and years ago, for some of the phrases to end up in the section of my notebook that's marked 2003. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**-Cathy  
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	2. Vacation

**AN: So after over a year, i decided to try to continue the story introduced in the last post, in drabbles. Timeline for next update unknown, how the plot will completely turn out unknown; I'll figure out as i write, i guess...**

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Chapter 2**

Bella stared out of the window of the small coffee shop. People were interesting to watch. In the great cities, they scurried from one place to another. They trip, they fall, they receive the rare help from the even rarer nice person, and they go on as if nothing had happened.

She held onto her cup tighter, drawing more warmth. She rarely drank coffee, but it was a cold day; she drank her usual hot chocolate too quickly to warm her frozen limbs.

An ice cream truck drove by, tinkling as it went. The song immediately stuck on loop inside her head. She flicked open her computer, trying to type out her required article while her brain is wondering who in the world would eat ice cream when it's sixty degrees outside. There was very little to write about. Life wasn't as interesting as people. Rosalie, her boss, was getting impatient. She's as tolerant as ever, but there is a limit. And, Bella's writings lately have been without her signature spark that made her so precious.

So here she is, taking a three-week vacation in Los Angeles, doubling as an undercover reporter for any interesting news she could come by on Cullen Inc, the famous company behind the equally famous Sheraton hotel chain. So far, she has not been lucky. Her weekly report to Rosalie had been just shy of shamefully terrible – bland words that said very little, despite their quantity.

She sighed, looking out the window again.

"May I sit here?"

Her head snapped up. A tall man was staring at her. Her brows furrowed. He gestured around in response. There really weren't any other free seats. The shop was filled with couples. She frowned. Oh right, it's Valentine's Day. It was also Saturday. She nodded. He relaxed immediately.

"I'm Edward, by the way," the man told her. She nodded.

"Isabella. Call me Bella."

They were silent for a moment, the tension stretching between them. Bella fidgeted, torn between wanting to look out the window and staring at the man that now sat with her. He seemed to feel it, too, shifting in his seat, eyes looking everywhere but her.

"What brings you here on a beautiful Sunday morning?" he blurted out. His ears turned pink. Bella tilted her head to the side, her usually functional brain distracted by every detail it picked up. She seemed to have met this man somewhere…

"I needed fresh air and noise. Hotel walls can't keep secrets, and I was unfortunate enough to be living by several pairs of bunnies."

He laughed. "Which hotel?"

"Sheraton." She paused. "You'd think, for a five-star hotel, they'd have soundproof walls."

"Sheraton? I'm living there for the next two weeks. You're welcome to crash in my suite if the noise gets you." His ears flushed bright red. His eyes widened further, darting everywhere. "Umm… I mean… you don't have to. I can help you get a new room if you want. Although it might be better if you just come to..." He stopped suddenly, swearing under his breath.

Bella giggled. "Isn't it too early to dig your grave?"

He chuckled, relaxing. "It's good to be prepared," he shrugged, smiling.

"Tell me when your funeral is. I'll definitely attend."

He glared at her in response. "You are morbid."

"So I am. Does that ruin your Valentine's Day spirits?"

"Dramatically. I think I just lost my will to live."

"You'll have to pay for my funeral attire. I brought none."

"Morbid."

Bella laughed. She picked up a spoon from the table. "Call me morbid again, and you'll have my unbreakable spoon to deal with!"

Edward stared at her for a moment, taking in the petite brunette threatening him with an eating utensil. A slow smile settled on his face. "Tsk, tsk. Do you spoon everyone who teases you so?" Her jaw dropped in shock. She blinked rapidly and burst into laughter.

"Only bronze-haired men who calls me morbid," she answered, winking. "That was good." She laughed again, unable to hold it in. He laughed with her, the laughter infectious. "Say, have I met you somewhere before?"

He tilted his head to the side, studying her. "Nope."

She nodded, extending a hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Edward. I hope to see you again."

He shook her hand, thinking of the last time he had been called _Mr. Edward - _he was robbed of a great sum of money for charity... "Here's my number. Do call if you need to get away or something…"

Bella smiled. "Will do."

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**yes, they are flirting near the end; yes, i think it might be a little fast; no it won't take all take place in this hotel; no, neither recognizes the other (i hope to be able to explain reasons in future updates) yes, you should review :D -Cathy**


	3. A Little Card

**AN: Hey I'm back again. First, a thanks to everyone who reviewed =) you make me happy and encourage me to write more. Next, I'm hoping to find a beta for this story. More details in the ending note. Enjoy! **

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February 15th_

Being the CEO of the Sheraton had its advantages, Edward decided. A quick look-up into the database confirmed that the girl he had met yesterday was living in the Sheraton, sixth floor, standard single. His staff had raised eyebrows at his inquiry (behind his back, of course), but he waved off the speculation expressionlessly.

_February 18__th_

Edward tapped his fingers on his desk incessantly as the man in front of him made the call.

"Yes," the man was saying, "we have heard a complaint on your behalf about the room." He paused a little, his eyes straying to his 'big boss', and paled. "Yes, we would like to move you into the suite." Pause. "No, we will cover all extra expenses." The man was sweating now, glancing nervously at 'big boss' as if to confirm that they will. A hint of a nod was his only reply. "W-we will send someone down to help you pack and move immediately, or at your convenience." Pause. "Yes, we thank you for your business. Good day, miss."

"Well?"

"She's all set to move into her new suite, and assured that she is not responsible for the difference, Mr. C-cullen," the man answered as he put the receiver back with trembling hands.

Edward turned to look at the window behind him. He fingered a little card in his pocket. The cursed little piece of plastic was giving him such trouble. So he didn't seem to have the courage to seek her out and return it to her, but he could make up the delay in its return through other means… she did say that the walls were too thin…

_February 20th_

Edward turned the card over in his hand. _Isabella Marie Swan_, it said. It also had a lot of other miscellaneous information, such as height, weight, hair color, and a rather unflattering picture of the girl. He glared at the door in front of him. A neat plate bearing a happy-looking _642_ mocked him.

Of course, he didn't feel right leaving the driver's license of the girl from that coffee shop at the front desk. He also couldn't bear sending any of the staff up. He wanted to return it to her himself, and thank her for her company on an otherwise dull, vapid day. He only hoped she hadn't thought him an idiot. Honestly, asking her how she was doing on a _Sunday_ morning when it was Saturday. She had been kind not to tease… if she had noticed…

He raised his hand to the buzzer, about to press it when a faraway door clicked open and closed, and voices began to drift. Admitting his fourth defeat, he clutched the card a little tighter, waved to the cleaning lady who had began her rounds, and left. He wondered if _Bella_ knew about her lost driver's license. She must be extremely worried by now. Maybe he should leave the cursed little card with the front desk after all.

_February 22nd _

Edward stomped off the elevator into the main lobby of the Sheraton. His shoes skidded on the newly polished floor; he caught himself before it became apparent that he almost fell. His mood was unpleasant. The cursed little driver's license of a woman he'd only met once was proving to be his downfall. He had no idea why it was so hard to return it, why he didn't feel right to anything. His business trip here was to sign some contracts and make arrangements to move the main operations to Seattle, but that was proving all the more difficult because of the cursed card.

He just entered the revolving door when a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar voice called out to him.

"Mr. Edward! Please wait!" He turned. It was the woman from the coffee shop running – no, sliding – across the lobby towards him. The next second she collided with him, the momentum knocked him back into the revolving door. His head banged against one wing, causing it to move. The other wing swung around to hit her head.

A synchronized "ow" was heard.

She muttered a quiet sorry and stood up, rubbing her head. He mimicked her actions. "Are you alright?" she asked. He hn'd in reply. "Good." She patted away invisible dust. "Have you, by chance, seen my driver's license?"

"Aren't you so chippy on a Saturday morning." Edward wanted to die. It was _Sunday_, not Saturday!

"Says pot to kettle." She seemed not to notice his fib, but then her eyebrows did raise…

He breathed a sigh of relief when she said nothing more. He dug the cursed card from his pocket and handed it over. "I might have a concussion from that hit, but here's your card. I've been trying to find you."

"You probably could have left it with the front desk."

"I wanted to thank you." She cocked her head, confused. "You paid for my coffee that day, even though you shouldn't have…"

"Oh." Bella blinked. "You're welcome. Thanks for returning my license. And sorry for the run-in."

He wanted to say something more, but she was already gone. That was when he noticed dozens of speculating eyes on him. Flicking away invisible dirt, he barked a "I don't pay you to stare!" and stomped away, crookedly smiling. Now that the cursed little card was gone, he felt so much lighter.

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**So, as said in the beginning note, I am hoping to find a beta reader/idea-bouncer for this story. Because I don't know exactly how the plot is going to turn out, or even what I want the "conflict" of the story to revolve around, I'm hoping to find someone who wouldn't mind a few (or a lot) of spoilers to this story, and to correct some grammar mistakes I tend to make. If you're interested, please leave me a pm.**

**As always, please review =) -Cathy**


	4. Clues?

**AN: Hey everyone! First, a big thanks to all the reviews =D They are what motivated me to write this chapter so fast! And next, a big thanks to my beta, bellacullen202. We're both very excited to see how the story will turn out =). Now, without further ado, the next chapter.**

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Late March_

"Edward, I give up on this search," said one distraught-looking Jasper Hale. "Three months, I've tried to track down this mysterious person named 'Isabella', but without a last name or proper picture I can't do anything."

"Alice should know about her. You can't get any information from your girlfriend?" Edward paced behind his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. That fox was _much_ harder to find than expected.

"Alice won't speak a word. It's like 'Bella' or 'Isabella' is not in her vocabulary!" Jasper stood up from the chair opposite of Edward and threw his arm in defeat. "Hells, I even tried getting her drunk…" His eyes glazed over in memory of that day. Edward tapped him on the head with a ruler. Jasper blinked sheepishly.

"Anyways, there is no such name in any of her contacts. I've even traced phone calls she made over that entire month. Bella simply doesn't exist!" Jasper sighed, taking a seat again. Edward stopped pacing too and sat in his chair.

"Does no one have her pictures?"

Jasper jumped up, reached for a manila file, and threw it in front of Edward. "These are the various photographs of the girls named 'Bella' who appeared in various charity balls."

Edward spread the photographs on his desk. They were of high-class-looking girls of all shapes and sizes. Many were not looking at the camera. None of them looked like the Bella he had remembered from the ball – with brown tresses and brown eyes that seemed to shine.

"And the thing is," Jasper continued, "most people claimed to have spotted her, kept away from her, finagled by her, then proceeded to track her down, to no avail. Her name's on the guest-list, though, listed as _Isabella_. No last name, no address, no phone number."

Edward swore under his breath. "That's what you told me the last time you dropped by."

"And that's why I'm telling you that I quit."

At that moment, there was a muffled commotion outside. Edward looked up just in time to see newspapers flying into the glass separating his office from the cubicles on the same floor. There was an oddly familiar girl tidying them into a neat stack and, with a quick bow, hurriedly carried them away.

"Who's that?" Edward inquired, staring after the girl.

"Ah, Bella Swan." Edward raised an eyebrow, immediately thinking of the woman he met in Los Angeles… "Definitely not the girl from the charity balls, if that's what you're thinking," Jasper added.

"She works here?"

"Comes once every week or so to fix things for extra money and a different environment, apparently. Works full-time at some other mysterious place."

"Fix things?"

"There are forty-nine floors of electronic appliances and objects that need to be looked after here. She's good with those things, so there she is."

Sparing one last look at the woman named Bella Swan, he turned back to Jasper. From far away, the Bella he was trying to track down was almost indiscernible from the Bella he was looking at.

That night, Edward prowled the empty cubicles. He wasn't stalking. Of course not. He'd only discreetly (or so he hoped) gotten the location of Bella's cubicle. He shouldn't have bothered, though. It was the only place where the light was still on.

As he approached, he saw her head pillowed by her arms on the keyboard, silky brown hair spilling over her shoulders, covering her face. She was asleep, but her computer was wide awake and working very hard to output a great number of capital _V_'s. He smiled. The word _cute_ popped up in his head somewhere before he shook it away. Unable to stop himself, he tucked the hair hiding her face behind her ear.

Yup, this was definitely the girl he met in Los Angeles. He wondered why she would take up this job as a part-time when she already had a full-time. Granted, her pay wasn't much here; five hundred per month, more or less, summing up to six thousand a year. It was a lot less than paying a professional repairman for all the electronics, or replacing them, not that the company couldn't spare the money.

He studied the cubicle. It was small. There was a small toolbox decorated with Hello Kitty items, a Hello Kitty waste basket, a computer with Hello Kitty stickers… There was almost a Hello Kitty infestation in her cubicle. She even had several rows of tiny Hello Kitty figurines designed for cell phones and key chains. He wasn't sure whether to call her obvious infatuation with Hello Kitty as cute or be appalled by all of it… though, granted, very few were the usual Hello Kitty pink.

He was more amused and curious. A small chuckle escaped him when he realized that the computer had now changed its letter to a capital _W_. She stirred at the noise, groggily opening her eyes.

"Mr. Edward?" He cringed. She too closely resembled that _other_ Bella, now that he was paying attention. The hair, the eyes, the wit (though _other_ Bella was wittier), and the form of address…

"Bella? Isabella Marie Swan?"

She smiled lazily. He decided she must be suffering low blood pressure at the moment. "Yup, that's me." Then, without warning, she punched him in the gut. Hard. As Edward was getting his breath back, she continued, "You're an idiot. Stealing my driver's license. Don't you know I can't get on the plane without it? And you've interrupted my dream. I was just turning in my writing…" Yup, definitely low blood pressure. She absently rubbed his stomach where she had hit him. He held his breath. "Thank you anyway…" Her hand dropped; he let out a shuddering breath.

She suddenly snapped awake. Her eyes focused on the computer screen, widening when she saw there were sixty pages of various letters and symbols. "Crop," she muttered. Edward chuckled, eyebrow rising at her choice of the word. She had interesting euphemisms, not that _crap_ was such a bad word that it needed one. "How long was I asleep for?"

He shrugged. Then, seeming to want more conversation, he asked her about the Hello Kitties.

"It was a joke started by a friend. And then everyone thought I liked them and kept giving more to me," she answered, petting a rather large stuffed kitty on the head.

"You don't like them?"

"I tolerate them."

She stood up, gently closing her laptop and stuffing it in a bag before turning off the light, suddenly drenching them in darkness. "Crop," she muttered again. Even with the emergency lighting in the distance, it was dark. She took a step forward and stumbled against the Hello Kitty waste basket. Edward watched curiously as she reached out, suddenly grabbing onto his lapels. She breathed a sigh of relief. Edward, on the other hand, found it hard to breathe.

She drew herself close to him. He stiffened, not used to such proximity. And when she opened her mouth to speak, his heart seemed to speed up. She was too close, her breath fanned over his chin. "Can you bring me to the elevator?"

"Eh?" was the intelligent reply.

"Night-blindness. I can't see in the dark."

"O-oh." When he didn't say or move, she let go of his lapels and sank to the ground. She felt around for her bag. Finding it, she stood up.

"The elevator's that way right?" she asked, pointing towards the window. "I see light." Edward was still frozen. She had night-blindness?

She took a wobbly step. And another. And tripped over the waste basket. He snapped out of his induced stupor in time to catch her by the waist.

"Why don't you turn on the lights?"

"Then I have to turn them off again, and the path from the light switches to the elevators is even more perilous." He oh'd intelligently again before taking her hand.

"I'll escort you out," he promised as he carefully led her towards the exit sign. She smiled in relief and he found himself returning it, not that she could see. For the first time in his life, he willingly held a girl's hand. For the first time in his life, he was curiously interested.

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**Your thoughts are cherished and wanted. They also make me want to update faster ;)**

**-Cathy**


	5. Revelations

**AN: Hey everyone! I'm back (for now). I will be moving back to college tomorrow, so no chapters until I can get settled down into school life again (whenever that will be). I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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Edward sighed as his secretary rang for attention. The next moment, his office door opened. Another girl sauntered over to his desk. As she walked, her hips swayed in an annoying fashion (she must have thought it alluring). Her steps faltered for a second when her eight-inch heels picked up several pieces of paper spread all over the doorway. He was awed and frustrated when she didn't even look down. _Six sheets, a new record_, he mused. He groaned inwardly and returned his gaze to the computer where he was reviewing financial files.

The girl deliberately leaned down to place a tray of water and ice cream, giving him a full view of her cleavage if he looked. There were two spoons sitting between the glass of water and the ice cream, as if she intended for him to share.

A full minute passed. Edward typed away on the computer, fully ignoring the girl who was still leaning on her elbows on his desk.

Another minute passed. He opened up his e-mail, and began typing away again. There was a conference meeting requiring his attendance tomorrow, the lawyer wanted a personal meeting to finalize his stay in Seattle, another lawyer needed him to sign the document to officially buy the condo he was living in… the girl cleared her throat. Edward marked a few dates on his desk calendar, scribbling away in a neat script that most people had a hard time reading… something about being distracted by how neat it was.

The girl cleared her throat again.

Edward suddenly looked up. And almost had a heart attack. The girl had the blondest hair he had ever seen. But that wasn't what made her intimidating. She had put on so much black eyeliner that her eyes were raccoon-like. Her lips, on the other hand, were smothered with the reddest lipstick known to Earth, and glistening with another thick layer of lip gloss. Edward wanted to laugh. So maybe his declaration of dislike for the fashion sense of the girls yesterday had been taken too far.

He schooled his expression and, in an impressive monotone, asked her, "You're still here?"

The girl's eyes widened; her lips pouted. Edward wanted to puke from the smell of all her applied cosmetics and perfume. "Oh good." For a second, the girl looked excited. But then he nodded toward her tray. "If you can find a spot on that table for the tray, leave it, though I'd prefer you take it away." He pointed to a large coffee table to his left, on which were stacked with glasses of water, cakes, ice cream, hot dogs… you name it. Each was in its own little tray, indicating just how many girls had been allowed to enter his office in the mere two hours since he arrived.

The girl huffed indignantly and stacked her tray on top of a heart-shaped cookie cake. Then, still dragging the six pieces of paper stuck to her heels, she gathered her dignity and walked to the door, where, with a crunch, she suddenly noticed the papers (now ten) stuck to her shoes. Face completely florid with embarrassment, she stormed out the door.

He sighed, standing up and turning around to take in the view of the city from his office window.

The first day, he was a surprise. No one was prepared for him. He got to see Bella. Best day of his life in Seattle.

And then it was the weekend. _His_ was spent in the bliss of nothingness. Obviously, his employees spent it scheming.

Then Monday, yesterday, was attempts-to-seduce-Edward day. The girls started coming in the minute he arrived, introducing themselves, ranting on about how excited they were to finally greet the 'big boss', wearing full make-up and too-daring clothes. There were even one or two who were courageous enough to parade about in mini-skirts and bikini-tops, covered by some gossamer piece of cloth. They were fired upon the spot.

He then lectured his secretary on who to let in and who not to. Obviously, she hadn't gotten the message.

Today was attempts-to-stuff-Edward-into-a-pig day. A long line of ladies taking turns bringing chocolates, cookies, edibles. He looked scornfully at his growing pile of food. The mix of smells was making his head swim.

Quickly scribbling down a reminder to give his secretary one last warning about visitors, he grabbed a bottle of water from a stash in his cabinet and escaped the building. He texted his advisor, telling him that he's out for fresh air. The advisor texted back with a _haha_. Edward snorted. As expected of Jasper to find this situation amusing.

He turned down an empty alleyway and began to jog – running away from the girls who gave him too much unwanted attention, away from the stresses of too many things undone because of aforementioned girls, away from thoughts of Bella… speaking of which, he was becoming more and more convinced that the Bella from the ball must be a twin. An evil twin at that. He could ask her about it next he saw her… He shook his head, turning a corner into another shady alley. He was running. Right. And he was off again.

He didn't know how long had passed. He leaned against a white-washed wall, catching his breath, digging for his cell. Seeing that it was almost noon, he popped the top few buttons of his shirt open. Two little clinking noises told him that his shirt would never be the same again. Leaning down, he dumped half of his water on his head. He inspected his shoes. They definitely didn't withstand his hour run. Maybe he should have bought running clothes rather than ruining his office attire.

A nearby back door suddenly opened. A brown-haired girl stumbled out, leaning against the wall for support.

"Bella?" he asked tentatively. The girl's head snapped up. For a moment, her hazel eyes had a distant, glazed look in them. And then it was gone, replaced by fear and confusion.

"Mr. Edward?" She shivered, cowering. "Please don't fire me! I know I work at a newspaper, but I'm not giving any sneaky reports! I have a column in entertainment usually, and take care of the 'Ask Alice' column once a week." She paused, thinking. "And I might write about daffodils and raccoons, but they're totally harmless, I swear!"

Edward blinked, walking closer to her, but she sunk to the ground with a whimper. "Is that what your secretive full-time job is?" She nodded mutely. He took a step; she stiffened. "Oh drop the act already," he commanded, but she didn't respond. "Hey, are you alright?" She shook her head. _Well, at least she's honest_.

"Rosalie yelled at me for writing about daffodils and raccoons for the editorial. She said I'm clearly out of my mind, but I think she just wanted to keep my masterpiece to herself." She held her head delicately and groaned.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "Are you one of those snobby rich people who donated a lot of money to charity, but then decided to regret it and blame it all on me?" She peered at him through her fingers.

Edward blinked again. "Excuse me?"

"You are not the same Mr. Edward as the one who donated a million dollars at Alice's charity ball, are you? Because you have the same name, and he's been the most persistent in finding my whereabouts," she told him, eyeing him wearily. Her eyes were glazed again, he noticed.

"So you are her!" His mind went blank. This wasn't the Bella he knew… Bella's brain became instant jam. Tears poured out.

"Please don't tell anyone! My quiet life. My secrecy…" She paused, hiccupping. "And don't push for the newspaper to…" She stopped suddenly, standing up, only to fall over. "Ground, stay," she admonished.

Edward moved to help her. In one quick move that had him seeing stars, she batted him off. She was leaning heavily against the wall, breathing rapidly. Grabbing both her hands, he trapped her against the wall. Her glazed eyes stared back at him almost blankly. He was so close that he could feel tiny puffs of air as she panted. He felt her forehead and quickly removed his hand. "You're burning up!"

"Is that what you want your revenge to be?" Her eyes cleared for a moment. "You are very unimaginative. That is so sixteenth century." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. Delirious Bella wasn't what he wanted to deal with after everything that just happened. He made a mental note to never get her drunk…

"I'll tell everyone you made enemies with who you are," he threatened. Her eyes widened; she whimpered. "Unless you be a good girl," he appended. She nodded eagerly, the faraway look coming back.

Shaking his head in hopelessness, he hooked an arm under her knees, picking her up easily. She leaned into his hold, shivering. After whispering him the directions around the publishing center, she quickly fell asleep.

"Dear gods, Bella, what happened?" Rosalie stood up when she saw none other but _the_ Edward Cullen carrying her beloved writer into her office. She turned a sharp gaze to Edward, eyes narrowing when she saw the first two buttons of his dress shirt unbuttoned, tie missing, and his hair in general disarray. "What did you _do_ to her?"

"She fell over. I brought her back. She has quite a fever," he replied evenly. He cursed his run and his luck. And Bella. So many people had seen him carrying her throughout the building. What made it worse was that this was a press headquarters. What had possessed him to carry her?

Rosalie hurried to his side, feeling her forehead. "She's burning up! And I'd been so harsh on her just now." She tried to take Bella from him, but she whimpered and hid her face in his shirt. Edward's ears turned pink.

Rosalie stared at him. He glared back. "If you can carry her to her car, I can promise that none of this," she gestured, "would be on the _Gazette_." Edward hn'd, turning away. "It's the big red one!" she hollered after him. "You can't miss it!"

The walk to the car was even more nerve wrecking. He could feel dozens of eyes on his back. Subconsciously, he held Bella closer, as if trying to shield her from all the scrutiny. He waited by her giant of a truck. It was true, what her boss had said. Her truck was old, gigantic, and stood out like a sore thumb.

"Are you even big enough to drive that thing?" he thought out loud, looking at the fragile girl he held.

"I drove it here, didn't I?" she murmured. He almost dropped her.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"You expected me to sleep in the arms of someone who swore revenge on me?"

Edward muttered something incoherent. _She did sleep, though!_ He set her on her feet when she wiggled. She swayed, but was otherwise on her feet. "I am not to be tricked," he told her, thinking about how she had neatly made him hand over a check. For someone who prided himself on being able to spot trickery, it was a serious blow to his ego.

"Chicanery is my name and honestly conniving is my game. What else was I supposed to do? Beg?" She leaned against her truck, arms folded across her chest. She seemed to have regained clarity, for the moment.

Edward snorted, "Conniving is the same no matter how much you decorate it with morals." His eyes narrowed. One arm came to rest beside her against the truck, trapping her. He leaned close. "I will make you regret it."

She pressed herself flat against her truck, silently cursing Rosalie for taking so long with her car keys. They were attached to the keychain with Hello Kitty driving a car after all. "What can you do? You can't take away my job at the newspaper without it ruining your image…" She faltered. She struggled to maintain lucidity, but her head was throbbing…

He smirked when he saw her eyes starting to cloud. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "There are ways of taking revenge without stealing your livelihood." She shivered, but was otherwise still. "Have you heard the phrase _murdering with a borrowed sword_?"She hiccupped once.

And then she was crying. Unshed tears gave her eyes a bright sheen, turning them honey-colored. "Stop bullying me!" she sniffled. Edward leaped back from her, terrified but utterly fascinated by her change of moods. He felt her forehead. Her fever was still burning strong. He felt unreservedly guilty.

The door connecting the underground parking garage to the newspaper building opened and shut. Rosalie's voice called out her name.

"So we reach a stalemate," he whispered to her. She nodded meekly as if she understood. He smoothed her hair back affectionately as she teetered forward, exhausted. When Rosalie found them, he was holding Bella tightly against him, one hand running through her hair soothingly. He had carried her to the passenger side, and, after a meaningful stare at Rosalie and a lingering touch, left without a word.

For the rest of the day, all he could think of was the feel of her in his arms and the sparkle in her eyes during her moments of true consciousness… and the strange ache he felt when he remembered that he had promised her vengeance. Of course, it was much easier to ignore the women parading into his office with even more food.

* * *

**End notes: T****hanks to everyone who reviewed thus far. Reviews are always loved: the good/bad/ugly; preferably constructive-ugly over flames.**

**-Cathy **


	6. Avoidance

**AN: Hey everyone! I'm back (somewhat). Here is the next chappy for your perusal =D.**

* * *

Bella woke up sometime in the night. Her room was dark; someone had turned off all her night lights. She sat up, feeling immediately dizzy. Someone stirred beside her.

"Bella?" whispered a sleepy voice. There was a click and the room was suddenly flooded with light. She blinked, and a concerned Rosalie stared back at her. "Do you want some water?" Bella nodded mutely, suddenly noticing her parched throat.

Rosalie disappeared for a moment and came back with a glass. Handing a few pills to her, she commanded, "Swallow." Bella did as she was told.

"What happened?" she whispered as soon as she found her voice.

"You really had us scared there. You've been out for two days, missy," Rosalie scolded. "We had to take turns taking care of you, since your fever wouldn't break."

"We?"

Rosalie pointed to a sleeping Alice barely visible in the living room. "And you also have a _lot_ of explaining to do. _The_ Edward Cullen said he found you hallucinating and carried you to me. He also sent you a bouquet of daffodils." She pointed to a vase sporting happy-looking flowers.

"Edward Cullen…?" Memories came rushing back – how she was so loose-mouthed and spilled her largest secret, how he had been both evil and nice, how warm she felt… "He knows," she breathed.

"I figured as much. But he's been keeping it secret. You don't have vengeful businessmen knocking on your door yet." Rosalie brought her into a hug. She choked. "I'm _so_ terribly sorry for yelling at you the other day! I should've known you mustn't have been feeling clear-headed to turn in such crap… but I thought you were just being rebellious!" She chuckled then, loosening her hold a little. Bella gasped for breath. "If I ever feel down, you must get sick and write for me. It was both an outrage and amusement to read about Hello Kitty beaten up by a giraffe and a baboon."

"You're still saving up embarrassing stories to tell to my future non-existent boyfriend?" Bella groaned. "And I thought I wrote about daffodils and raccoons."

Alice chose that time to wake up. In her usual chirpy, bright voice, she screamed, "Bella has a raccoon boyfriend now? What?" Rosalie laughed as Bella buried her head in her pillow.

"I think she's back to herself now," she told Alice. "Let's go back home and sleep on an actual bed!" Rosalie turned to Bella. "You are still responsible for this week's Ask Alice column, Bells. I want a column's worth done by nine tomorrow night."

After a meek "Yes, boss," from Bella and strict instructions on medicine intake from Rosalie and Alice, Bella was left alone in her luxurious apartment whose rent was heavily subsidized by Alice.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Bella dreaded work the next morning. That was why, against her better wishes, she was the first in the office at a mere six. She thought that if she was early and finished all her duties, she could leave before everyone else left, thereby minimizing the chances of a confrontation with Mr. Edward.

Unfortunately, she did not get her way. The first ominous sign was when she couldn't answer all the questions picked for Ask Alice this week. Bella silently cursed Rosalie to the dark depths of Hell. _Dear Alice, I find myself head-over heels in love with my new boss. How do I get my boss to notice me? In Love_. What kind of question was that? Should she answer 'flirt', 'ask for a date', or was it a serious question that needed a serious answer like 'communicate your strengths'?

On top of that, Edward seemed to be everywhere. She once tried to avoid him by hiding in a stairwell. And then he decided to also hide in the stairwell, she guessed. Bella had, to her great embarrassment, pointed at the door and told him, "Look! A Cactus!" and then ran up four flights of stairs.

During coffee break, she was drinking her usual mug of coffee substitute (hot chocolate) when her friend Jessica nudged her and whispered, "Edward Cullen is staring at you." Bella had looked up to stare into his intense green eyes. And then he winked and walked away as if nothing had happened.

"He didn't look mad, did he?" she had asked.

"Why, did you kill his dog?" Jess responded. Bella had choked out a _no_ and quickly diverted the converstion.

But even when she couldn't see him, she felt eyes staring at her, burning holes. It didn't help that he tried to follow her once. She was doing her newspaper recycling rounds again on the top floor and made a signature stumble against the bit of carpet sticking up in front of the semi-transparent wall that separated his office from the sea of cubicles. She passed his door just as he came out of said office. She tried to power walk away, but he shouted out her name and asked whether she was okay. She flushed, nodded and hid for the rest of the day. There went her plans of getting back early.

Now she stood in front of her message board. She had started this when she realized that the pile of post-it notes and scraps of paper demanding this and that was simply not working. Hands on her hips, she stared at the single task she had left to do: replace the light bulb in Edward's office. She could have finished all her jobs by now if said Edward wasn't in his office scribbling away.

Moreover, the question she didn't know how to answer was weighing heavily on her conscious. _What would _I_ do to gain the attention of someone I like?_ Her mind went _buh-buh-buh_, but was otherwise dysfunctional.

She burned holes on the wall that separated Edward's office from the cubicle mess, willing for him to leave. She knew the exact time he stepped out of the office: four-thirty. Hurrying in as soon as he disappeared around a corner, she set up the six-step ladder to climb to the small chandelier in the middle of his vaulted-ceiling office. Of course, she never noticed the pair of green eyes watching her deftly screwing in two replacement bulbs and climbing back down. She didn't hear the inaudible gasp when she tripped over the last rung, making the ladder collapse on her forearm. When she stepped out of his office, he was nowhere to be seen.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Bella stepped out of the bathroom. Her column was done, work was done, advice was done… except for that single question, _How do I get my boss to notice me?_ She hissed when her arm hit the doorknob. Her arm was scratched badly under her sweater.

"Long time no see, _Miss_ Bella," drawled a voice. Bella looked up to see Edward lazily leaning against the wall a few feet in front of her.

She hummed thoughtfully in reply but otherwise tried to ignore him. When she tried to step past him, though, his arm shot out. The next moment she knew, she was trapped against the wall, under his smoldering scrutiny.

"Bella?" he asked, almost as if tasting the flavor of her name. He leaned closer; her breath hitched. "Strip."

Bella blinked. "You perverted stalker!" she yelled. He dodged the first punch, barely avoided the following kick. The empty hallway resounded with a smack. One of his hands reflexively fingered his smarting cheek. She tried to take advantage of the opening, but he grabbed her arm over the wound. She yelped and froze.

"You will let me look at it." he questioned, loosening his grip. It really wasn't a question, for he led her into his office, sat her on the black luxurious sofa and took out a first aid box in a cabinet. When he came back, he took one look at her and commanded, "Now, strip."

She took off her sweater and rolled up a sleeve to reveal the long tender scratch from the ladder. It was a long line of raised, tender skin that looked like it would bleed any moment. He tsk'd and began taking out all sorts of ointments. He pulled on her hand, forcing her to submit it to his poking and examination.

"Were you planning on treating this at all?" he asked as he unscrewed some bottle and began lathering its contents on her arm.

"It's not that bad," she defended. He snorted when she hissed in pain.

"I don't think I want to see what you would call _bad_."

"Good. I don't plan on breaking a leg and an arm at the same time again."

He paused to look up at her, green eyes wide with amazement. "What did you do?"

"I tripped up the stairs," was the curt reply. He blew on the wet ointment for it to dry faster. Her entire arm tingled. He chuckled; she shivered. He had wanted to ask how to trip _up_ the stairs, but stopped himself.

When it was dry, he gently rolled down the sleeves of her button-down and began to put away the assortment of medical supplies.

"Um, thanks," she fidgeted. "And I'm sorry about… that…" she added, nodding toward his still-red cheek. "But you don't tell a girl to strip when you want to help them."

"What was I supposed to say? Take off your jacket?" Her hand shot out to slap him again, but he caught her by the wrist. "See? Same treatment."

"Yes," she said simply. "But this time…" she reached for a bottle and dipped a swab inside. "You get treatment," she explained. He winced when she touched his smarting cheek. He glared at her when she attacked his cheek with a cotton swab.

"You could be more tender," he complained. She responded with a jab. Edward flinched. "See what I mean?"

She ignored his whining, instead focusing on applying some sort of salve to soothe the redness. Bella _had_ felt guilty for hitting him so hard. At least she had a reason to treat to it. Instead, her mind trailed off to the single question she couldn't answer. "Say, Mr. Edward, if I want to be in your good graces again, what would I need to do?"

"Call me Edward, for a start." She rolled her eyes.

"Besides that. And stop hitting you. And stop finagling."

"You can bring me my coffee every day. Starbucks, black, with a teaspoon of sugar."

"And I suppose I have to buy it, too."

"Of course."

She stared at him disapprovingly. "You know what they say about needy bosses," she tsked.

His expression was blank. "I don't know. What?"

She opened her mouth and closed it a few times. And then threw her arms up. "I don't know either! But it's something really, really bad." Her cheeks burned. Where were her good come-backs when she needed them!

Edward smirked and responded with an amused _hn_.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

The weekend passed quickly. When Monday came, Edward walked into his office with a newspaper and a mug of black liquid sitting on his desk. The newspaper was turned to the entertainment section with a line in the _Ask Alice_ column proudly circled. The question was _How do I get my boss to notice me?_ Below it was a simple quote: "_Starbucks coffee, black, with a teaspoon of sugar._"_-EC_. He then turned to the mug of dark liquid, curious.

He took a sip, spluttered, and chuckled. It was hot chocolate! He had found a note written in a messy scrawl: _What's the opposite of coffee? Cocoa. It'll make you all sleepy and warm and comfortable… and has a BIG teaspoon of sugar._ The note was unsigned, but he had a good idea where it came from. Smiling, he downed the entire mug, pausing only once to wince at the too-sugary taste. He leaned back in his chair, feeling very comfortable indeed.

Of course, the comfort was forgotten by the end of the day, when he stared at the sudden fascination of his employees with providing him non-stop coffee service. However, even the smell of cold coffee couldn't dampen the tiniest twinkle in his eyes when they land on the dark blue Hello Kitty mug now sitting beside his computer screen. If she was trying to get into his good graces to keep her secret, she was doing a good job. Not that he will let her know that anytime soon.

* * *

**I've wanted to do this before, but I always forget. So, before I forget again, credits to date: **

**Big thanks to BellaCullen202 for being my beta and catching my many errors.**

**Part of this chapter and some previous ones are inspired by scene(s) in the manga/anime Kaichou wa Maid Sama (one of the cutest story-plots ever).**

**The title of this story is jipped from a dear friend. He had since gave me permission to use it =D. He also came up with the spoon pun in the 2nd chapter.**

**Some of the conversations between Edward and Bella are true conversations I had with friends. Credit goes to them for the witty parts. I'm the poor soul who gets burned lol.**

**Big thanks to all my readers and reviewers. You make me want to keep going despite everything else. That being said, you should review :D**

**-Cathy**


	7. Spring Cleaning

**Spring Cleaning**

Edward entered the apartment and promptly stumbled over a haphazard broom. He glared intensely at the innocent object before surveying the blushing Bella in front of him.

"I want a homey feel," she declared in defense, eyes aflame.

"This goes beyond homey, Bella." He took another step inside, trying to determine the color of the carpet, and failing. She stepped aside, looking sheepish in an apron all the while.

"Why are you here?"

He took out a Hello Kitty mug from nowhere. "This is yours, I presume?"

Bella spared the mug a glance. "Nope," she lied, but took it anyway.

* * *

**AN: I stumbled upon one of the 100-word prompt contests one day and became addicted to writing these... This is sorta a "filler" while I try to work out chp 7. Despite the prompt having come from a contest, I will not submit entries for it. Besides, the characters are wrong anyway =)**

**Prompt: flame  
Words: 100  
Prompt location: Dokuga weekly perfection contest, Sept 21-27, 2010**


	8. Declaration

Bella was brooding.

Rosalie sighed as she watched the girl twirl a pencil around her left hand and draw squiggles on her notepad with her right. She had thought the cubicle prank she and Alice had pulled on their quirky friend last Friday could have helped to distract her from her current state of misery. It was a belated April Fools prank, and she had taken many pictures of Bella as she walked to her cubicle, only to find its entrance duct-taped. She had cut the binding, only to find herself immersed in a sea of packing peanuts. She came out of it spluttering made-up profanities, but Rosalie could tell that, behind Bella's angry façade, she was pleasantly frustrated nonetheless.

Earlier that day, Rosalie herself was surprised when Edward _Cullen_ had helped carry two boxes of packing peanuts from her and Alice's minivan-turned-truck in the parking garage. She was even more shocked to see his usually blank expression slip into an amused smirk as he happily emptied one of the boxes he had carried into the duct-taped cubicle. And when Bella had stumbled out of the peanut mess, he ran a hand through her hair, brushing off a lingering peanut, whispered something to her ear, and left without another glance, expression fading into that of the indifferent Edward she knew.

Bella had gone off into another stream of made-up profanities (at one time calling him a perverted green alien from Buzz Lightyear) before throwing both Rosalie and Alice into the packing peanuts.

But even all that didn't help to prevent Bella's mood at the moment. Like she was every year.

April 10th. The terrible day she lost her mother as she knew her.

Rosalie remembered Alice telling her about it. How Bella's personality took a dip; how she nearly tried to kill herself; how, since then, she became the bubbly, childish Bella she knew today. And how, it was always on the days leading up to the 10th of April that old Bella came back: the serious, silent Bella that took responsibility for everything.

It really wasn't her fault that her mother was in a car accident, wasn't her fault when Renee slipped into a coma, wasn't her fault when the storm came in and blew out the electricity for eight long hours, wasn't her fault when Renee fell into further critical condition and didn't make it. Nor was it her fault that her father was on patrol and was shot in the leg and held hostage for two days (for reasons unknown). It wasn't her fault when the gun wound festered and Charlie was laid off because of his injury… and through it all, her family dropped down the well called Debt.

It was one of the reasons Bella was such a penny-pincher, why Alice mercilessly used her to gather more donations for her charities. With her childish personality, Bella also gained a sharp tongue. If she had really put her mind to it, she would win all her bickering tournaments, hands down. And, even if she pretended to be annoyed by Alice's antics, it allowed her to blow off steam against the people behind the loan sharks chasing after her tail.

Rosalie was snapped out of her reverie when the object of her ponderings, Bella, dropped a flash drive on her desk. She then left without a word. Just like every year.

Rosalie plugged the flash drive into her computer and read Bella's latest editorial, and smiled despite her worry. Charming Bella was back. There was hope in her favorite journalist after all.

Edward frowned at the third presentation in a row to convince him that acquisition of some about-to-bankrupt company would actually be beneficial. He really hadn't planned his entire Friday stuck in a meeting room listening to presentations his _creative_ employees created. And it certainly didn't help that he was accosted by others at every opportunity.

He couldn't fathom why Carlisle wanted to drag him to Seattle in the first place. Los Angeles was nice! He knew all the talented people there; and he knew the top talented people located in the other offices. He just didn't understand how said talented people managed to hire such a group of imbeciles.

"This company has survived in the market for thirty years. Though they are in rough times, their ideas are fresh and unprecedented. If they have the back-up of a well-known corporation like Cullen, Inc., evidence show that their products will fare many times better…" rambled on some young man pointing at bar graphs.

_He had done his research_, Edward gave him, _but he lacks critical analytical skills_.

Two hours later, he gave up trying. As innovative and interesting the current presentation sounded, he couldn't put his mind to it.

He ended up back in his office, twiddling with the Hello Kitty mug that always managed to find its way back to his desk every few days. He recalled giving the mug back to Bella. Some light digging into the company's employee database and he had found her address. He still wasn't sure what made him go see her that day. A part of him came up with the excuse that he couldn't let himself be satisfied with chocolate when he wanted coffee. He wanted her to bend to his will much like she had manipulated him at that party.

And she was stubbornly resisting, bringing hot chocolate to him whenever he tacitly told her to try again... just like how she was currently stubbornly refusing to leave his thoughts.

"Do you like her?" Edward looked up. Jasper, who had snuck in when he was distracted, was now sitting across from him with an amused expression. "She doesn't follow your orders very well, does she? Is that why you're interested in her?"

Edward narrowed his eyes. "I don't like her."

"Why continue this game, then?" Jasper indicted toward the mug. "How many times do you want to be rejected before you admit that you _want_ her to say she wants your attention?"

"I don't want her attention," Edward stated simply.

Jasper smirked. "Then why are you returning the mug every time she gives you chocolate?"

Emerald eyes narrowed in warning. "How long have you lied to me?"

"I knew her before I knew you," Jasper shrugged, smirk fading. "What are you going to do to her?"

Edward was silent as swiveled around to look at the Seattle skyline. Jasper didn't see the conflicted emotions playing across emerald eyes when he replied lowly, "I want to make her pay."

* * *

**AN: **filler, in its own way. Edward has plans to manipulate Bella. Bella will have counter strategies... maybe...


	9. Family

**Family**

Bella drove down the familiar lane, the low rumbling of her truck grounding her thoughts. She turned right onto a small driveway of a run-down house. They hadn't had adequate money to maintain it for years now. Several roof tiles were missing, a window was cracked in the back, there was a loose shutter on the second floor, and siding was missing in a few places.

But no matter how much she had wanted to, she, nor her father, could abandon this house. It held too many memories. Memories of a happy childhood cut short: of riding piggy-back while her mother chased her around, of realizing how hard her mother tried to make dinner edible but failed anyway, of eventually learning to cook herself and helping the family, and of how all that was suddenly taken away.

Even now, she couldn't fathom why her mother died. Everyone was happy. She never skipped out her chores and was responsible… and yet, she still lost someone so dear.

Silently, she picked up the key under the doormat and opened the door. The house smelled musty, like the woods after rain. It was darker inside. Her eyes took several moments to adjust.

"Dad, I'm home!" she called out, hearing an answering grumble in the kitchen.

And there stood her father, worn, sad, but still proud in his own way. "Ah, Bells, just in time. Finish sautéing this fish for me, will you?"

She smiled. Some things just never change. The only dish her father could make was still fish. She helped Charlie hobble to a kitchen stool and then expertly flipped the fish over in the pan.

"Sue probably wouldn't mind coming over and cooking for you once in a while. She always makes so much anyways."

Charlie sighed, telling Bella a world of things he couldn't put into words. He didn't want Sue to feel as if she _must_ cook, didn't want to owe anything to her charity, too prideful to take so much from her without being able to pay her back.

"I wish I could earn money faster," Bella whispered. "Then, we could pay back all the debt and get this place fixed up again." She lightly salted the fish, cut it up, and brought plates over to the table. She looked into her father's sad eyes.

"You always had so much responsibility on your shoulders. I am sorry, Bells." His eyes were guilty. He should be able to support his daughter, not the other way around. And yet he couldn't.

Bella smiled brightly. "I am here where I am because of you."

Charlie stared at his daughter as she ate. The change was so subtle he would have missed it if he hadn't seen her sincere smile. Throughout the rest of the night, he kept an eye on his little girl, wondering. Since Renee passed away, Bella never whole-heartedly smiled in the house. She was a bristling spirited porcupine to the world outside, but just as timid and vulnerable at home. She had few words and always carried an aura of heavy burdens. A small part of him always wilted at the dull edge her eyes had taken on. Today was different. The same brown eyes he had known for years sparkled, if just for a moment. And, she had smiled.

When he checked up on her in the middle of the night, the faint moon light reflected against the trails of tears. He sighed sadly. Some things haven't changed.

He sat on the full-sized bed she had and gently rubbed away the salted trails. Turning away, he hoped she will one day bring home the person behind her so he could shoot the guy for not doing enough, and then revive him for making so much progress.

The morning was misty, as were most mornings in Forks. Bella glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye. He was quieter than usual today, and he kept glancing at her.

"I'm okay, dad. Really," she muttered when she caught his eye on her.

"Who is it?" he blurted. He almost squirmed. They never had many words for each other, not knowing how to express them in the best way. Bella's tongue was too sharp, his was dull with disuse.

"No who," she answered simply. "What who?"

Charlie sighed in defeat. Maybe the lack of male contact and general fear of them had made her clueless. He had wanted to ask more questions, questions he could never put into the right words, but they had arrived at the cemetery.

The Forks cemetery was a quiet place, in the middle of the forest, with a small church nearby that rarely even had a residing priest. The forest had made its presence known, with new saplings growing between tombstones every year. A giant weeping willow stood sadly in the middle, its branches bowing until it touched the ground on all sides.

Bella and Charlie stood beside it, in front of the gravestone marked for Renee Swan. Bella gently set the bouquet of flowers before her mother's resting place.

_Please give me your protection, mother. Help me find the strength to resist whatever Edward Cullen is planning. And help Charlie drop his pride for Sue to help him. I want him to be happy, _Bella told her mother silently. She then proceeded to catch her mother up on what she had been up to the past year. She told Renee about writing for the newspaper and Rosalie's growing love for her articles, about Alice's continuous charity balls, about Edward, about Rosalie's disappointment, and more about Edward.

_He's an enigma, mom. He could crush me so easily just by rattling me out, but so far he hadn't done that. He almost seemed _curious_ as to why I want to "steal" money just to donate it all. But that's not all. He has the biggest ego you can ever imagine. He's determined to step on my pride, but I won't lose. _Bella smiled softly. _I will beat him in his own game._

Charlie stood beside his daughter as he finished his retelling of his year. _Renee, surely you must have noticed the change in Bella. I hope you will manage to find a way to make them fall in love. Because one who can make our daughter shine like this surely will deserve her, and she him._

Saying a last farewell both left the peaceful cemetery.

Neither noticed the ghostly smile of Renee Swan as she traced a dainty rose, nor heard her amused voice saying, _It's all according to plan_. But then, a gentle breeze blew through the cemetery, and Renee was no more.

* * *

**AN: **it feels so weird to post such a long chapter after all the tiny drabbles I did. Well, this is a note saying that this story is getting moved to "second priority" because I am still very much addicted to writing tiny drabbles (I have a new story up titled _When you Tame a Vampire_, told in drabbles). This chapter is not beta'd so there might be mistakes a plenty. I do hope you enjoy this, and I will try to keep to weekly/biweekly updates...


	10. Challenge

**AN:** Hey everyone! sorry for being gone for so long. But I was having fun writing the other story, and this chapter kinda stewed on the back burner until I almost forgot about it. But here it is!

Much thanks to my wonderful beta, BellaCullen, who diligently edited this chapter.

**

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Challenge**

Edward stared at the door when arguing voices carried over from the other side. A moment later, an angry-looking Bella stormed in, followed by his secretary.

"Mr. Cullen, I –" his secretary tried to explain but was cut off forcefully by Bella brushing past. The woman became too shell-shocked to move. Bella, however, ignored the poor woman's predicament and proceeded to slam a scrap of paper on his desk.

"What is this?" she asked, poorly disguising her sharp anger.

Edward raised an eyebrow before dropping his gaze to the paper, scanning it quickly.

"An arrangement proposal," Edward explained.

"I do _not_ owe you five million."

He clasped his hands together, leaning back in his chair. "Woman, you _borrowed_ one million from me to donate to charity, causing me emotional distress and immense physical drain. The indirect damage to my company is worth more than that, I assure you."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"But I did not say you need to pay me back, did I?" he continued. "I proposed a _challenge_." Edward's eyes flickered to his secretary, who had sat on the floor, dazed. Upon meeting his gaze, the woman stood up stiffly, whirled around, and left the office. When the door clicked shut, he looked back at Bella.

"Well? Terms?" Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, eyes narrowed, one eyebrow raised. He almost wanted to smile.

"So you agree?"

"I have yet to decide."

He sighed inaudibly, passing her a neat manila folder. Brown eyes flickered to his curiously before dainty fingers gingerly opened the file. Edward leaned back in his chair, waiting for her to scan the documents.

The clock ticked. Minutes passed. Then with a snap, Bella closed the folder. He nodded toward the chair. "You may sit."

She ignored him. "These," she pointed at the folder, "outline wishes on the behalf of your board of trustees and your family that you get engaged within the year. I fail to see what it has to do with me."

"I know about your debts, Bella," he stated carefully. "Pretend to be my girl of choice for one year and I will resolve all your money issues."

"You said a _challenge_."

"Do not fall in love with me."

She snorted. "As if you are so irresistibly lovable."

"I was informed I have a fan club." He clasped his hands on his desk, a picture of dignity.

Bella's eyes went comically round. "Why not get your fan club to do this?"

"They are my fan club," he deadpanned, as if that explained everything.

She flushed despite herself. "Such a _brat_."

Edward choked, indignant. Before he could refute the statement, she went on. "I have a challenge for you, _Mister_ Edward. _Make me_ accept your challenge." Her brown eyes glittered with some emotion he could not decipher. And then she was gone.

He sighed as he tried to remember what the point of going against her was. Was it really for that check of one million dollars? _No, he couldn't care less_. Was it for emotional distress? _But only his pride was wounded_. Was it for physical pain? _The only physical pain was caused by himself_. He turned to the pile of paperwork waiting to be signed and catalogued. But one question plagued him. _Why was he doing this?_

She was a reporter who wrote for the most well-read newspaper in the region. She held power over him. Just like he held blackmail on her. A stalemate. He smirked, previous thoughts forgotten. He could try her challenge.

Bella went to work Monday morning to find a single _plastic_ flower on her desk. It was a yellow daisy with mock dew drops glittering on its pedals. There was a note: _Yellow for elegance, plastic for eternal hate. With eternal misgivings, Edward_. She smirked despite herself. Dropping the note in a drawer, the flower was planted in a pot of paper clips, and that was that.

Or so she thought.

By the time she left for home on Thursday, there were four happy _plastic_ daisies in her paper clip pot, and four neatly written cards in the drawer, always signed with hate. But she was merciful and amused, so she did not throw them away.

On Friday, however, she was no longer feeling so gracious. Her beloved corkboard was… no longer _her_ corkboard. Rather than pins of all different sizes and colors, they were replaced by uniform white push-pins.

Edward looked up from his paperwork when Bella stormed in. Apparently, his new secretary didn't even try stopping her. Taking a deep breath, she grimaced and asked politely, "May I have my pins back?" It really wasn't a question though.

He frowned. "You didn't like my present."

"There was an order to the chaos that you dismantled. I would like to regain reign over my corkboard." An eyebrow raised in response. Bella sighed. "Blue is for must-do repairs, red for emergencies, white for requests, food-shaped for Alice and Jasper who love to spam, orange for memos…" she trailed off, ticking on off on her fingers as she went.

Edward leaned forward. "What about your _big boss_? Doesn't he deserve a pin to himself?"

She glared at him. "Only if this _big boss_ would kindly return everyone else's pins."

With a wide-eyed, innocent look, he pointed at a white cloth bag on the coffee table. She peered in it before grabbing it and leaving without a second glance.

Sometime during the afternoon, she had quietly returned to his office and left all his pins there. All, except six. When he passed by her empty cubicle, he stared at six of his white push pins making a smiley face in the corner. Attached to one was a post-it. _Use at your own risk_. And he suddenly had an urge to smile.

Bella was brewing her favorite hot chocolate amid a bustling kitchen when all commotion suddenly stopped. Blinking, she turned around only to notice a certain green-eyed, bronze-haired _gentleman_ sitting at an unused table.

Huffing, she brought her mug back to her friends, pointedly ignoring him.

Jessica, however, had other ideas. "I think he likes me," she whispered conspiratorially, winking.

Bella choked.

Jessica jumped, patting her on the back. "Geeze, Bella. It's not that astounding."

_Tell that to your boyfriend_, Bella almost wanted to reply. Instead, she focused on coughing.

"But seriously… he is always here now, during _my_ coffee break. He also always looks _my_ way. _And_ he always gets the same kind of coffee as me."

Bella refused to remind Jess that she and quiet little Angela also had coffee break at the same time _and_ sat at the same table, and that Jess purposely changed her drink of choice to match with her current non-boyfriend crush.

As Jessica rambled on about how Edward Cullen was possibly in _like_ with her, Bella looked to the right at Angela. They giggled and rolled their eyes like they always did when Jess ranted.

She finished her hot cocoa and was about to leave when Angela nudged her. Confused, she looked at Angela, who nodded in the direction of Edward. Green eyes were staring at her with such an intent look that she shivered despite herself. Thoughts caught up then. Straightening her back, she shot a glare back. He had the audacity to _wink_.

And then he stood up, gracefully walked to the counter, dropped his mug into the dishes bin, and swept out of the room.

Bella huffed, rolled her eyes, and attempted to do the same. Only _she_ tripped on the wayward garbage can, ran into the worker collecting dirty dishes, and narrowly avoided being run-over by a coworker holding a cup of steaming coffee. She felt lucky she had not even a bruise to sport.

"Showoff," she muttered, silently cursing Edward and his easy grace.

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**This chapter was written with cuteness in mind, but due to the inordinate time it stewed, the cuteness factor may have been lost. Thoughts, comments are much appreciated. I do read them, even if I don't always respond. **

**Until next time**


	11. Stalker

**AN: Hello everyone! It has been a year... and I'm alive! and I really don't know what to say. To say sorry would be an understatement... I had promised myself that I would never let go of a story. However, I was very much tempted to drop this one due to somewhat lack of things to string plot details together... and lack of time. I am a nerdy person who studies computer science... writing isn't my priority most of the time.**

**However, I have found this chapter, and a few others that I had written, and meticulously revised (to some extent)... Hopefully, you'll enjoy this!**

**I cannot make any promises on when I'll update again. I have a few backup chapters, and I'll try to keep to a once per month schedule... but life is busy :( Reviews make me happy and more willing to write. If you really would like this story continued at a somewhat more reasonable pace, feel free to drop a note :).**

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**Chapter 11**

Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were amicable, enigmatic people. They wake up at seven each morning, share a loving kiss, and went about the rest of their day. Carlisle Cullen, the former CEO of Cullen, Inc, decided to finally put his years of medical school to use after handing over the company to his youngest son. After donating enough money to the local hospital to warrant a board position, he spent his days looking after the patients in his ward. Indeed, the company was better in his son's hands anyway.

Esme Cullen, on the other hand, was the unofficial chief executive head housekeeper (affectionately acronym'd to CEHH by the rest of the Cullens) of the Cullen's sizable mansions littered throughout the world. Despite the mountains of problems to resolve, her main worry was on her youngest son, Edward.

For, you see, despite the Cullens having founded their company and owning over half the stocks, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen hold little sway over decisions of the Board of Trustees of Cullen, Inc. And the aforementioned board had a way of phrasing their demands that made others think that Dr. and Mrs. Cullen had all the influence.

Like their latest demand of an heir from Edward.

It was only after several days of non-stop phone calling and pulling strings that the Cullens managed to "lessen" the demand to a marriage. And a few more weeks of pulling strings gave their son a one year deadline rather than the two-month one the board originally decided.

And so, a month after the news was (ahem) pleasantly presented to Edward, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen once again showed up in the Seattle branch (now headquarters) of their namesake company with one beautiful Tanya Dewali in tow.

"You look wonderful, dear, do not fret," Esme comforted as the nervous girl tugged on her curled strawberry blonde hair and fumbled with her fingers.

"But he's _Edward Cullen!_ And I'm going to meet him as a possible fiancé candidate!" Tanya gushed, turning scarlet as the last two words tumbled out. "And he's known to be the coldest, most stubborn, handsomest bachelor!"

"And he is also my son, dear. Let's see if he dares to be cold and stubborn towards _you_," Esme tutted.

The girl stopped, almost as if ready to run off. "Does he even remember me?"

"How could he not? You've been playmates for ages!"

Thirty minutes later, Esme was swallowing her words by the mouthful as she watched the poor Tanya get run over by a clumsy girl with an arm full of newspapers and ridiculed by a wrathful Edward.

"I am a perverted man with a love for newspapers," he had deadpanned. "At home, I decorate the walls with the latest newspapers. I wear newspapers as pajamas when I go to sleep. I eat from newspaper-decorated bowls. In my spare time, I dress myself in newspapers, stand in front of a mirror and go 'haha'. I only go to cafes with free newspapers, and would rather save a seat for the daily newspaper than a potential girlfriend. Are you sure you want me?"

Tanya had run out of the office, managed to topple that same girl with the newspapers (Esme had began to despise that word), and disappeared from view.

Stressed beyond relief over her son's situation, she snapped. "What is wrong with you, Edward! In case you haven't noticed, you only have less than eleven months to get married!" Esme paced in her son's spacious office. "And further clarification to you, dear. When the board says _married_, they mean _married_, as in marriage certificate ready to present, marriage ceremony over and done with. Even if we pull more strings for you or plan your wedding in advance, we need a _bride_ to walk down that aisle!" Esme slammed her hands down on the polished mahogany desk. Towering over her son's suddenly apprehensive form, she stared him down. "I show up with one good girl and what did you do? Spew a bunch of nonsense to shoo her out the door!"

Truly, Edward hadn't known what came over him. Tanya was a good girl, but she was always a little too shy. He knew she had a crush on him in their younger years, but he hadn't thought his parents would show up with her as a possible fiancé. And the newspapers… He didn't know where that came from either. All he saw was a flutter of newspapers, and the memory of that afternoon of carrying a loopy Bella through the _Gazette_ came unbidden into his mind. It went all downhill from there.

Caslisle, realizing that most of her steam had gone, rubbed his wife on the back. "By rejecting Tanya, do you have a girl on your mind, Edward?"

"No," came the hasty reply. But Esme saw the redness on the tips of his ears, slowly spreading as she stared at him with an unreadable expression. And suddenly, she broke into a wide smile.

"Oh you _are_ thinking of a girl right this moment! I thought it was strange that you hadn't blown up the house yet, and we were so worried!" The smile was gone as quickly as it came. "But I still expect you to offer Tanya an opportunity, mister. Or at least apologize."

"Yes, mother," Edward humored. Only after they left did he realize that he never denied the existence of a girl…

Bella slumped over her tiny cubicle desk miserably, staring at a Hello Kitty bobble head as it nodded itself to death. Dark circles under her eyes belied her exhaustion as she ransacked her brain for a good answer to her latest Ask Alice fiasco.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

She peered over elbow to see Jessica bouncing on her feet. "No I do not want to go shopping with you," she answered the unspoken question. Jessica never asked about her welfare unless she needed a shopping partner desperately. The bouncy woman slumped.

"But Bellaaa!" she whined, stretching the last syllable as she nudged said Bella ruthlessly. "Mike wants to take me out on a date, and I have nothing to wear!"

"Do I look like I'm up for a shopping trip?" questioned Bella, pointing at the bags under her eyes. Jessica just whined harder.

"You look like you need a day off. And what better to spend this day off than going shopping with yours truly?" Patting Bella on the head, she added, "Tonight at five. I'll drive," and left without a second glance.

Bella slumped onto her desk again, staring blearily on the messily scrawled words on a sheet of paper. _Your coffee advice worked charmingly! My boss and I now talk about sweet nothings over mugs of morning Starbucks. He has no idea how I feel, and I'm too scared to ruin this! How do I tell him I love him?_

_How would I know how you want to spill your feelings?_ Bella thought bitterly. _Love chocolates? Tea? Newspapers?_

At five minutes until five, Bella groaned resignedly, concluded that Rosalie should die, and packed up.

Bella knew shopping was boring, but shopping with Jess made boring sound interesting. There was never hesitation, never a request for help. No. Jess knew what she wanted. When she didn't, she sought her own counsel. The girl simply headed for shop after shop, and, with an ecstatic "toodles!", disappeared for half an hour. Jess never failed to bring back more bags for her pack mule, Bella, to carry.

After the fifth shop, Bella's patience snapped. Forcing Jessica to dump all her bags in the car, she bid her own happy "toodles" and went window-shopping. Jess hadn't cared, but Bella was fine with that.

Breathing a large sigh of relief, she meandered from shop to shop, lingered longer in ones with books, passed by the ones without.

She didn't really know when she had acquired one, but when she saw the same stranger in a dark suit and sunglasses for the third time in three different stores, she knew she had a stalker. Unsurprisingly, when she turned down a darkened alley, she heard the soft scuffling of footsteps behind her. But as she ran corner after corner, the sound of footsteps disappeared.

Wary, she peered around another corner, only able to see the lighted street in the distance on one side. She huffed loudly, shoulders slumping. She had expected an echo in the building-encased alley. What she hadn't expected was the echo sounding so masculine. Bella stiffened, turning suddenly, only to find herself nose-to-chest. She yelped, but a very warm, very male hand slapped over her mouth.

"Quiet woman," an almost familiar voice hissed.

Bella stopped struggling. As her eyes adjusted, she saw a familiar silhouette. Slapping his hand away, she hissed back, furious. "God, you perverted stalker!"

Silence met her statement, but she could almost _hear_ his amusement. "Just Edward, please," came the reply. "Though you are allowed to refer to me as 'god' in a more… _private_ setting."

Her jaw went slack. _The pure arrogance of that man!_ "Do you find _pleasure_ in stalking unsuspecting people on the streets? Is this some secret indulgence of yours?"

"I can only stalk one person. Besides, it's only you," he chimed nonchalantly. "No one else would call their stalker a god."

Harrumphing indignantly, she stomped away toward the lighted streets. "Don't you have anything better to do? Like courting some unfortunate female?" He grabbed onto her wrist before she strayed too far. She was harshly jerked back into his embrace.

Before she could complain, he whispered back flirtatiously, "I am courting an unfortunate female. I think I made her more fortunate by my appearance." He scanned the alley thoroughly before tugging her towards the lighted streets.

"Some _other_ unfortunate female," she grumbled.

He hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "But you're the only one unfortunate enough." She shot him a glare, but he wasn't looking at her anymore. Panic flashed across his eyes as he tried to reach for her.

She realized too late that he was only trying to save her.

The next thing she knew, she ran into a pole.

More like, a pole on two legs, and armed with guns. Yes, _guns_. It had many.

And the pole was smirking at her, revealing a neat set of pearly yellows. "Looks like a little mouse got a little lost, eh?" Bella shied away from the hand that reached for her. "What do you say we show her the way back?"

The cacophony of crude laughter signaled the arrival of more _poles_. Bella 'eep'ed and grabbed onto the closest grab-able thing.

Edward stiffened. "Woman. Do you know whose person you are currently assaulting?"

Innocent eyes peeked at him from behind. "Um, yours?"

"And who am I?"

Bella's mind whirled. _To think that he would joke at a time like this!_ "My bullet proof shield," she responded, eyeing the men fingering their beloved guns. However, at Edward's stern gaze, she relented. A little. "And the would-be savior of my life?"

"You think I'm able to save you while you hold me immobile?" he hissed. She clung to his arm instead. He turned to the five men. Cracking a fake smile, he held his left hand up, palm facing slightly outward in surrender. "Sorry guys, my little sister here is a little weird in the head." At that, he swatted Bella lightly on the head. Discretely, he loosened her choking hold around him. "See? She doesn't even duck." Reaching for Bella with his right hand, he spun around and sprinted. "Run!"

Blindly running as fast as he could, he dragging his 'sister' up the nearest alley. On and on they sprinted, up one street and down another. At first there were shouts and footsteps, then there were just footsteps, then there were more shouts and fighting, and then it was just them. A few minutes later, they stopped by a shiny silver Volvo. Hastily stuffing Bella in the passenger seat, Edward climbed into the car and drove off.

Fifteen minutes passed by in panicked silence, each frequently checking the mirrors. Edward often made random turns, as if to lose any pursuers.

"So…" he trailed off, mostly due to lack of air. "What rewards to I get for saving your life?"

"You call that…" gasp of air "saving my life?" more gasps "Since when was I your weird-in-the-head sister?"

"The point is, I got you out of that situation, despite the handicap you put on me."

"By running me half to death!" The silence that followed was stifling. "But thank you for all that you've done." Silence reigned for a few moments. As the fear and shock wore off, curiosity burned. "So what made you so conveniently located in that alley in the first place?"

His eyes flickered off the road for a brief moment, hands gripping the steering wheel slightly tighter. "I was hiding," he stated in a flat, clipped monotone. "I was quite surprised when you were the one to bumble into my hiding place and expose me. As your luck would have it, you ran into gangsters, and that may have saved us both."

Bella's eyes flickered in surprise. "So you weren't the one that stalked me?"

"I was! But then I realized I had a stalker of my own and took off…" Edward's hands tightened on the steering wheel. Taking a deep breath, he asked merrily, "So what do you say to a date with your savior?"

She snorted, but he had already parked the car by a nice little Italian restaurant. Turning off the engine and hopping out, he opened the door for her and bowed with a flourish. "After you, ma'am."

Miffed that her choice wasn't really hers, but secretly charmed nonetheless, she let him lead her into the restaurant, hands entwined. They both hid the slight tremors from the aftershock well, but once in a while, a shudder would pass through the linked hands. Neither mentioned anything; neither made to let go. They understood, and that was that.


	12. Chocolate Thanks

**AN: Hi all! It has been ages since I've updated... but here's the status on this story: Yes, I want to finish it eventually. Yes, I still sort of remember the original plot, and found a few of my old notes regarding it as well. No, I don't know when I'll update next. I recall writing 3 or 4 backup chapters over the summer last year so I can update, but I can no longer find them. No, this chapter has not been beta'd.**

**This chapter is also written in a format slightly different than before. As I said in a few author's notes in previous chapters, I was and still am enamored with the idea of expressing a lot of things in just 100 words. This chapter is broken into 5 sections, each 100 words long. I found that chapters are a lot easier to write, and I'm less likely to meet the hated writer's block. Maybe, if I don't have 3-4 programming projects due every other week, I'll actually keep at it and update.**

**This chapter also owes a BIG thanks to celebritystar, who had poked me over a review on the evilness of leaving readers hanging for years without any notice on the status. I don't know if she is still following this story and eagerly waiting, nor do I know about any of my other readers. But for those that still are, thank you for your years of support.**

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((((**Thank you**))))

Bella sat on the floor of her apartment, staring blankly at a stack of crisp clean paper. Her left hand drummed against the carpet as her right tapped her pen incessantly.

_Maybe if I…_ With a cry, she attacked top sheet with a fierce intensity. She trembled in excitement, only to growl angrily at the innocent sheet now half-filled with her usual messy scrawl. Another moment later, the paper crumbled and joined the growing pile of paper balls behind her. Head hanging, Bella cursed and resumed staring at the next sheet of paper. _Why is writing _Thank you_ so difficult!_

((((**Savior**))))

Her savior came in the form of one bubbling Alice, who burst into her room with a charming, "Good afternoon, Bella!", who also stopped just short of running into and collapsing the haphazard pile of crumpled paper balls.

"Um… Bella? Why does your apartment look like a recycle bin just threw up in it?"

Bella gave her room a disinterested once-over. "I am trying to sculpt word-vomit into a thank-you letter."

"For me?" chirped Alice. "You shouldn't have! Just go shopping willingly with me would be more than thank you enough!" She paused. "And much more thoughtful," she added quietly.

((((**Idea**))))

"Alice, you are a genius!" Alice grinned expectantly. "I can just ask him out on a date!" The grin fell.

"_Him_?" Eyes narrowed, demanding explanation, but Bella was no longer listening. Whistling a cherry tune, she dug out an entirely too-large plastic bag and began shoveling the tower of crumpled letters inside.

"Writing a thank-you letter is too old-fashioned anyway, don't you think? I might give him an obnoxious one anyway, payback for all those plastic daisies." She gasped a breath. "Or I can get him more hot chocolate."

"Bella?" Alice tried again, but Bella was already out the door.

((((**Temptation**))))

When Monday came, Bella was… antsy. Her hands held a mug of steaming brown liquid whose smell was making her mouth water. She glanced at the clock, trying to make herself wait for five minutes longer.

The smell of raspberries wafted around her, bringing her into a world of warmth and sensation. Raspberry-flavored hot chocolate was one of her personal weaknesses, and she hated herself for making it, sharing it. _He_ won't even enjoy it, that she was sure.

Maybe it would be okay to take a sip. He won't notice. She doubted he ever drank anything she made anyway.

((((**Giving In**))))

Greedy eyes watched as the delectable liquid made its way closer and closer to her lips. _Just a little bit more…_ and then the mug was gone. She stumbled forward from loss of velocity, and a tiny drop of the much anticipated chocolate landed on her upper lip.

Blinking, she looked up to see a smirking Edward. Frowning, she pointed at the kitty cup. "That is mine."

"I believe you made this for _me_, not _us_."

"I believe I don't like you."

"I believe the feeling is mutual." She huffed. His eyes twinkled. "Thanks for the drink." She stalked away.

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**This might be a "cliffy"? idk. But to make it less so... yes, she will ask him on a date (when they stop throwing barbs at each other). Unfortunately, it'll most likely be one big disaster of a date. I have a (I think) very sweet moment in mind, but probably not next update.**

**-Cathy**


	13. Breathless

**AN: Hello again! I return after less than a month (I think?) and 5 more short drabbles (100 words each). I hope you enjoy!**

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**(((( Remembrance ))))**

Edward stared at the damned Hello Kitty cup with its steamy delicious-smelling contents. Maybe if he could close his eyes and take a sip, he wouldn't feel like part of his manhood being ripped away from drinking _flavored_ hot chocolate out of a _Hello Kitty_ cup.

No, that would be too cowardly.

He had thought of dumping the entire contents away when she went for a sip, but she had looked up with such passion in her eyes that he forgot everything for a moment and wanted to hug her, kiss her. It humbled him.

Edward hated to be humbled.

**(((( Defiance ))))**

Nostrils flared at the smell of hot chocolate. He now knew why she was so tempted. Or, perhaps, he developed a penchant for the thing after drinking it for so long. She was defiantly not providing him with his usual coffee. At least, it _was_ usual until she started this whole thing with chocolate. Yet he never made a move to stop it. It was almost mechanical, how she'd bring him chocolate, and he'd hand back the cup asking her to try again with the right liquid. She amused him with her clumsy, sharp wit, he admitted, taking a sip.

**(((( Breathless ))))**

The sweet delicate and intense flavor of the raspberries blended seamlessly with the rich flavor of the chocolate. It curiously reminded him of _her_.

He placed the now-empty mug down just as she strode in with an air of confidence like she owned the place. He admired the drastic difference from earlier. "You didn't knock," he commented.

"I did. Three times." Her eyes twinkled with something fierce, making him feel strangely breathless.

"I don't recall ever inviting you in."

"I don't either, but I'll excuse you for your lack of manners." She smirked in victory. His eyes drank it in.

**(((( Ask ))))**

"I got tickets to a musical. Won't you like to see it with me?" she asked, holding up the tickets. Emerald eyes narrowed.

"Why should I?"

"A gentleman would allow a lady to thank him for saving her life and not question it."

"Who said you're a lady?"

"_I_ said so," she replied snarkily. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on his desk, hands cupping her face, the epitome of innocence. "So are you gentleman enough to accept?" Her lashes batted once. He forgot is hate against her. Twice. He forgot why he teased her. Thrice. He forgot everything else.

**(((( Accept ))))**

Slowly her face inched closer. Or, was it his face getting closer to hers? The very air seemed to sizzle. Her expressive eyes widened further; the light brought out highlights in her hair. _Gods, she is beautiful_, came the unbidden thought.

The sudden clang of his tie clip against his table broke the spell. Almost immediately, she flushed a cherry red. An unbidden smirk came to his lips. This time, he inched forward with calculated precision until their noses were hairsbreadth apart. "I accept your invitation." She pulled away, still flushing.

"Friday night, eight at the Paramount. We're watching _Cats_."

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**Your feedback always keep me going. As with last chapter, this goes to celebritystar, and my reviewers/readers. Gives me hope I'll actually finish this :)**

**-Cathy**


	14. Newspapers

**AN: Hi, my precious readers. I am back with more drabbles for you. I realize that my story is probably deteriorating as I go. I'm seeing why authors like to have backup chapters. I'm already regretting some tiny plot details in many previous chapters that made this one much difficult to pen. Without further ado, the chapter.**

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**Chapter 14:**

**xx Newspapers xx**

On Wednesday, Edward found his secretary buried under a mound of newspapers. When asked what was wrong, the girl passed out from the sheer shock and stress. At least she was adequate enough to synchronize his schedule with his calendar, and he was able to proceed through his morning meetings.

When he returned to his office promptly at three, he found a steaming mug of tiramisu-flavored chocolate on his desk with a newspaper clipping. _An anonymous source informed us of an unfortunate obsession with newspapers by Seattle's newest bachelor, Edward Cullen_, it read._ Young ladies everywhere are disappointed by the turn-off_.

**xx Tiramisu xx**

The rest of the article was clipped away, unfortunately. Edward had wanted to inquire its author just _who_ informed '_them_' of his '_unfortunate obsession with newspapers_' but the all-too-enticing smell of the chocolate distracted him. The rich scent of the chocolate blended in perfectly with the homey flavor of tiramisu.

His eyes closed of their own accord as he took a ginger sip. The liquid burned on his tongue before mellowing out into a world of flavor. Belatedly, he realized he was turning into an aphrodisiac. But as he downed the entire mug, he decided that that was just fine.

**xx Extra xx**

Bella sprinted off the bus from the Convention Station, taking the stairs three at a time in her haste to get to the theater just above. One simply doesn't arrive _late_ to a musical. She had told Alice to arrive _extra _early to pick out her casual-formal attire, and Alice had, per usual, arrived extra late. And the four-inch heels her dear friend had trapped her in simply didn't help. Her heart pounded. Despite her mind telling her otherwise, she didn't want to be ditched at the musical. Panicked eyes scanned the crowd, hoping against hope to find her partner.

**xx Nightmare xx**

The crowd milled around her as she weaved with practiced grace. Dim lights cast everything in shadow, making it even harder for her to find anything given her night blindness. She glanced at the clock ticking away. Two minutes. She bit back a strange lump in her throat. He wouldn't show. There was a part that _wanted_ him to be there, wanted him to be excited and enjoy the musical, chase away the sudden nightmarish loneliness that plagued her. One minute. With one last glance around her, she reluctantly handed her ticket to the door guard, who bowed her in.

**xx Darkness xx**

The lights in the theater dimmed as soon as she stepped inside, drenching everything in an impenetrable darkness. Immediately feeling small and fragile, Bella bit back a sudden urge to cry. The stage lit up as bright and furry actors in cat suits began to sing praise to the Jellico cat gathering. Bella sank on her hunches. Wanting the happy music to wash away her peculiar dejected feeling but too stranded to. As more cats pranced on stage, her eyes picked up the dimmed stair lights. _I can do this_. Standing on wobbly legs, she bravely took a ginger step.

* * *

**I hope to update again before the summer is over, and finish this story before the year is over. Dear darwin, so much writing left!**

**As always, this chapter is dedicated to my most faithful reader, celebritystar, and my other reviewers/readers as well. Thank you for sticking with me despite the poorly planned plot, and giving me the omph I need to finally finish this.**

**-Cathy**


	15. Flight

**Flight**

7:45pm, on the mark, a private jet touched down in the private runway at Seattle-Tacoma Airport. A frazzled-looking CEO practically flew off as soon as the plane doors opened. Five minutes later, a silver Volvo peeled away from the airport, going at crazy speeds on the I-5 towards downtown. Edward made trained his eyes on the road, while praying that somehow time would go slower. His flight was delayed by two hours due to a thunderstorm, and he'd been plagued by a sense of urgency and unrest ever since.

His eyes flickered to the dashboard. 7:57.

He wouldn't make it.

**Silhouette**

His car haphazardly parked in the garage, he somehow made it just before the theater closed its doors to start the show. Barely waiting for the surprised ushers to check his ticket before sprinting across the grand entrance hall and up the stairs to the second balcony, he slipped inside the dim theater. The music had already started, the fast catchy tune doing nothing to calm his thundering heartbeat. His eyes immediately latched onto the dark silhouette half way down the steps before him, its arms stretched out in front as it clumsily walked past the rows of seats. _Bella_.

**Stumble**

Bella steadily, shakily made her way down the steps to where her seat was. There would be an empty seat beside her. The thought made her heart clench. Her mind knew, logically, that it was better this way. Logic told her that her experience wouldn't be marred by his caustic comments and non-sense remarks. But it made the loneliness no easier to bear, for no one goes to musicals alone.

Her next step wavered, and she stumbled. Belatedly, she realized her heels were hopelessly tangled. Her mouth opened. _Don't make a sound!_ her mind chanted as the ground met her.

**Surprise**

Bella was unable to stop the oomph as her hands slid against the rough carpeted stair, sending tendrils of pain up her arm. Still, the edge of a step came to meet her face, promising to break her nose once it hits. The next moment, her stomach felt as if hit by a bat, the force pulling her up and away. Flailing arms found an unfortunate head to thump, earning a hiss, even as her back seemed to hit something hard, knocking both to the ground.

The music paused in suspense right at that moment. One cat walked to the edge of the stage, pointing directly behind her and sang, "There's a man over there with a look of surprise…"

**Gorgeous**

A soft chuckle sounded from behind her. "Woman, you are one trouble magnet." Bella gasped softly, turning sharply.

"Definitely. And you are the biggest trouble I've ever attracted," she hissed back.

"Me? Trouble? I just saved your pretty nose from a bashing!" came the quiet exclamation.

Bella turned away. She looked like an angel, her profile haloed against the stage lights. "Thanks," she whispered.

Edward snapped out of his trance, feeling suddenly flushed. "You're welcome, I guess…" Nimbly getting on his feet, he offered his hand. "To the seats! I want to be sitting when Rum Tum Tugger comes out."

* * *

******AN: Hello everyone! Wanted to make a correction to last chapter's Darkness. "Jellico cat" should actually be spelled "Jellicle cat" instead... Anyways, as always, this chapter goes to my most dedicated readers. I couldn't've done this without you all! Also a note of confession: Surprise broke the rule I'd set, standing at 120 words (it just wouldn't fit in 100 for some reason). Until next time!**


	16. Green

**Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving! There's lots of things I am thankful for this year: being lucky enough to be very successful in job-hunting, graduating, my very supportive readers. Thank you to everyone who left reviews. I don't respond to all of them, as sometimes there's nothing I could say except boundless gratitude for the encouragement, which I thought I could express better here.**

**Without further ado, here's the next 5 drabble-esque 100-word prompts. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Green**

"I thought you would stand me up. Why'd you show up?" The entire theater was lit for intermission, illuminating the arched golden ceilings that sparkled with grandeur. _Curiosity killed the cat_, the logical side of her nudged.

He was quiet for a moment, something almost vulnerable flickering across his gaze, before his mask was replaced. Smirking confidently, he responded, "I can hardly _make_ you accept being my girlfriend by standing you up on a date _you_ invited me on, can I?"

Bella eyed him skeptically, before shrugging. "Do you like it?"

Green eyes slanted her way, "It's fair."

She beamed.

**Dinner?**

Bella was half way across the street, heading for the Convention Center bus station, when he caught her arm. "You didn't think you could just leave, did you?"

They were already in front of the theater, heading towards the parking lot before she even noticed the change of direction. "What –"

"Indulge me on dinner. I insist." He chivalrously held the car door open for her before running to the driver's side. When he slipped into the car, there was an excited air about him, though his expression was schooled.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously, guardedly. He preened.

**Hunger**

"Curiosity killed the cat," he said sagely when she questioned him on their whereabouts. Bella could've sworn the man drove around in circles just to confuse her. She was _certain_ there was only _one_ GameWorks in the city…

"For someone who claims to strongly dislike me, you seem oddly happy about having me in the car. Should I be readying ransom notes? My will?"

The corner of his lips twitched in a smirk, green eyes shimmered with ill-disguised amusement. "I'm hungry. Perhaps I want to _eat_ you."

She blushed. "_That_ is called cannibalism and is generally frowned upon by society."

**Atonement**

To her relief, they stopped by a quaint Italian diner. The atmosphere was friendly though romantic. The owner seemed to know Edward well, and they were seated at a private corner with an excellent view of Lake Union.

The waitress was nice, though it seemed she took extra care with Edward's risotto than she did Bella's mushroom ravioli. "Accept the offer. Accept my deal." Bella stiffened.

"I don't want to be bought."

"Think of it as atonement. I get to keep my company. You get your debts paid."

Absently sticking her fork in her ravioli, she looked out the window.

**Liberty**

"Atonement? Just for making you donate an extra million to charity? I owe you nothing."

"Except damaging my pride."

"How costly your pride is," Bella snorted, popping another ravioli into her mouth. "Why me? You could have your choice of girls to play the part."

His eyes shuttered in a moment, becoming cold, ruthless, masked. "Despite your faults, you would not take undue liberties against my person."

"Perhaps that's why the board demanded you take a wife. The more I see you, the more I think you're a stuck-up icicle in a deceiving package," she noted.

His left eye twinkled.

* * *

**As always, your thoughts are much appreciated! :)**

**I have a good chunk of the rest of the story written. Due to my tendency to skip around, none of them are directly connected to this one, or to each other (darn). Hopefully, I will actually be able to boast of a backlog come xmas/new years!**

**-Cathy**


	17. Repeat

**Repeat**

They fell into a strange silence the rest of the meal. Bella continued staring out the window, at the sparkling lights on the bay barely visible from within the restaurant. Once in a while, unwittingly, her eyes would slant toward the reflection of her dining partner. His navy-blue button-up clung nicely to his form, the neatly tied pale tie draped perfectly from the collar. There was a seeming elegance to the way he chewed… and his crystalline green eyes were always on her when she peeked. Their gaze would lock through the reflections until she looked away. The process repeated.

**Tell Me**

"Tell me about yourself." Edward looked up, eyes widening ever so slightly, showing his surprise. Bella only looked expectantly at back. "Well, you want me to act the part of your _chosen one_, don't you? Teach me things to fend off questions."

"What do you want to know?" He regretted speaking the words as soon as they left his mouth. Brown eyes sparkled with brimming curiosity. Her entire being seemed to shine.

"Birthday."

"June 20th."

"That's in two weeks!" She hummed. "Age."

"25. Soon to be 26."

She smiled. "So young." Polishing off her last ravioli, she swallowed before resuming.

**Quiz**

"Favorite color," Bella began again.

"Silver."

She was still quizzing him when he paid the bill an hour later, and still going on when they returned to the car. Most are trivial, like, "Favorite flower." He would respond, "Freesia." Sometimes it required more thought.

"One pet peeve," she demanded.

"Sloppiness," he replied, pausing, considering the word, "especially in obnoxiously loud sneezes."

Her surprised laughter would ring, and she would resume.

During a brief lapse when she breathed, long fingers caught her chin, stilling her. "You are going out with me tomorrow. And it will be _my_ turn to question _you_."

**Lock**

Eyebrows lifted in amused inquiry when she hesitantly invited him inside her apartment for some hot chocolate. To his own surprise, he agreed.

He settled himself into the too-large beanbag chair poised sloppily in the middle of the sitting room as she bumbled around in the kitchen. Soon, the familiar scent of the hot liquid with something else wafted around the small apartment, and she set two steaming kitty mugs down on the coffee table.

Extending the first cup with both hands, Bella steeled herself to meet Edward's eyes, but his gaze, bright with interest, was locked on the chocolate.

**Waver**

His eyes, full of ill-disguised interest, flickered to her briefly. The sheer intensity of emotions in that one look was staggering, stealing her breath. Bella's grasp wavered precariously, but a warm hand quickly reached out, steadying hers, before plucking the mug from her shaking fingers. Blushing, she sent a grateful smile. Wordlessly, he inclined his head before focusing on the hot chocolate.

Tenderly, he blew on the liquid once before taking an elegant sip. The burst of cinnamon on his tongue surprised him. Wide green eyes met smug hazel ones over the brim of their mugs. Warmth settled over him.

* * *

**AN: **So, I failed to link my random snapshots of inspiration together (if anything, the disconnected parts only grew bigger in number). I hope you all enjoyed this little bit of whimsy. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a wonderful new year!

I will be traveling the next month or so. Inspiration willing, I will be back in March, if not sooner :)


	18. Casual

**Casual**

"Dress casual," he had told her when he left the previous night. Bella huffed as she flipped through her clothes, laying a number on her bed. Humming a tuneless melody, she tied her hair into a messy bun, snapped sparkly earrings in place, and cleaned up just as the doorbell rang.

"Hi," she whispered when the door was open.

Her answer was a quirk of his lips. "Good morning." His eyes swept up her choice of attire. Smirking more, he added, "We match."

Taking in his jeans and white sweater matching her jeans and white cardigan, she blushed, "We do."

**Spring**

There was a childish spring in his step as he showed her to his car. He had the same expression as ever, but somehow managed to look _happy_.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled out into the streets.

A corner of his lips twitched. "It's _my_ turn to ask questions."

"Are you this bossy to your subordinates at work?"

"It's called being assertive, _dear_." He spared a glance at her. "We'll start with something easy. Favorite flower."

"Jasmine," she answered.

He hummed. "Favorite color?"

"It changes every day."

"Today's?"

"Brown."

And so the day of questions began.

**Trail**

As the scenery changed from houses to mountains, Bella excitedly pressed her face to the window. "It's been a long time since I visited the mountains."

The car stopped at the head of a well-known trail with a big "Rattlesnake Ledge" sign. When he opened the door and bowed her out, she was mysteriously, helplessly charmed.

To say Edward was patient as he helped her navigate the trail was an understatement. He was the perfect gentleman, holding wayward branches away, helping her up slippery slopes. With him sprouting questions nonstop, she didn't even notice when they strayed from the trail.

**Sunshine**

The sun began to peek from behind the clouds as the unknown path Edward was following became even harder to navigate. He skillfully navigated them around the occasional boulder, across tiny creeks, over fallen trees, all the while keeping Bella distracted with one thousand and one questions. The occasional ray of sunlight would sneak through the thick foliage and make his hair sparkle.

_Tall, handsome, and rich. What a lady killer_, Bella wondered aimlessly.

As the minutes turned into hours, she became more aware. When their fingers brushed as he pulled her over a log, her face would feel hot. When he lifted a branch away to let her pass, a pleasant shiver would pass.

**Drop**

It wasn't until he suddenly dropped her hand that she realized they had been holding hands. _When did that happen?_ She looked up as he turned around, green eyes blazing with sudden excitement.

"We're here," he announced, stepping into a wall of foliage before them. "Come on!"

She followed his lead, only to be blinded by the sun.

"I hope you're hungry," he said as he shook out a checkered picnic blanket. Bella blinked. There was a picnic basket as well.

In a daze, she hesitantly walked towards him, feeling an extremely warm _thing_ bubbling inside and spreading throughout her.

* * *

**AN: Hi everyone! I'm back from vacation! And I've started my first real full-time job! (yay!) I hope you've enjoyed this drabble set. Sunshine, being so sunny, refused to stay under limit, at a whopping 115 words. You'll forgive me, won't you? :)**

**Thank you everyone who is supporting me and my drabble-y fantasies (aka this story). Let me know what you think!**


	19. Splutter

**Splutter**

"Why did you take me here, of all places?" Bella inquired around a bite of her sandwich.

"Seclusion."

"For what?"

Edward slowly set down his half-eaten sandwich. Green eyes burning with intensity, he leaned over the picnic basket between them until their noses were almost touching. "You keep forgetting that it's my turn to ask questions and yours to answer them."

Blushing at their sudden closeness, Bella took a healthy gulp of the nearest can of juice, spluttering when she realized it was soda.

Unbeknownst to her, his lips twitched as he sent a text on his cell: We're ready.

**Lazy**

The sun peeked from behind thin fluffy clouds, casting a lazy radiance throughout the clearing. Bella sprawled herself amidst blooming wildflowers, staring at the sky.

"Hobbies," he demanded with a soft tone.

She hummed thoughtfully. Pointing a finger at a cloud, she announced, "Doing nothing of consequence: reading books, writing, enjoying the sun..." There was a soft crunch as he laid down beside her. Turning to look at him, she smiled when she saw that he was staring thoughtfully at the clouds as well. "Let's play a game." When he gave her a skeptical look, she laughed. "It'll be fun!"

**Paradise**

"Song, movie, or book titles. We take turns saying one. The first word of the title has to match the last word of the previous. Words like 'a' and 'the' don't count," she cheerfully explained, taking his silence as confirmation that he's game. "Got it?" He hummed. "Good! I'll start with 'Come and Get It'."

He was silent for so long, she was afraid he had fallen asleep. Leaning over him, she was just about to flick his nose when his eyes flashed open, and his hand caught hers. "It Had to be You," he murmured, eyes dancing with mirth.

**Pressure**

She tried to tug her hand away, but to no avail. "Let go." He only tightened his grip until she gasped in pain. "It hurts!" She gave her most intimidating glare. He had the audacity to stick his tongue at her. "What do you want?"

"Sign the contract. Say you'll help me until I find a permanent solution."

"Don't you have a year?"

"Having someone relieves the pressure."

Bella took a deep breath, relaxing as she breathed. "And you aren't going to let me leave here until I agree."

It wasn't a question, but he still gleefully shook his head.

**Lawyer**

He handed her a stack of papers. How he carried them without her noticing, she had no idea. "Sign," he commanded. Bella tugged at her captured hand. This time, he released it, handing over a pen. She ignored the proffered instrument and began reading through the pages. It was a lengthy contract, the kind that had much small text to cover any loopholes.

"You even hired a lawyer to make this?" she asked, gaping at the seriousness with which he treated this.

"Of course. You should be happy I'm not taking you to meet him for personal and emotional damages."

* * *

**AN: I still have some ideas floating around in regards to this story. At the rate I'm going, we're all in for a long ride... I'm looking at possibly 200-300 more drabbles? It's amazing how much and how little happens in 100 words. As always, thank you all for your support!**

**This chapter's drabbles are in part inspired by the Kdramas "Secret Garden" and "Playful Kiss"**


	20. Number

**Number**

"Let's talk," she said, knocking away the prodding pen. "You want my acting skills, and let's assume I want money. I'm not doing the whole lump sum at the end deal here." She put the papers on the ground, pointing at a particular passage. Edward sat up, interest piqued. She met his eyes full on. "I'm only to accompany you as your date to certain unavoidable parties, correct?" He slowly nodded. "Then I shall be paid by the day." She held up five fingers. "This number per party or function you require me to attend."

"Five hundred thousand?" He glared.

**Plus**

"Plus nullification of all my supposed debt to you." She paused thoughtfully. "And of course, reimbursement for any clothing I may require to attend these functions."

"Any other stipulations?"

"Does that mean you accept?"

He fumed. Her lips twitched, unable to hold her poker face. Hazel eyes gloating.

"Now, we can talk about the job description," she continued. If looks could kill, she would be dead nine times over. Thanking the heavens that looks can't, she pressed on. "Nothing intimate. I am only here to give you more time, as you said," she smiled. "Now, let's go meet that lawyer."

**Helicopter**

Before Edward could come up with an adequate comeback, he caught the distant hum of a helicopter. The sound grew louder as the trees started rustling from strong gusts of wind. Mouthing a 'We will speak later' to the current bane of his existence, he quickly jumped up, pulling a confused and startled Bella to the tree line.

Seconds later, a small-sized helicopter landed in the clearing. Two men in black suits jumped off as Edward approached them. The men bowed to Edward and exchanged words that she was too far to hear, and then he was marching towards her.

**Flinch**

Without giving her any explanation, Edward started towing her toward the helicopter. When she tried to scold him, she realized that her efforts were completely drowned by the loud droning from the rotating propellers. Settling for her best 'I'm not amused' face, Bella let herself be seated and buckled. If he noticed at all, his only response was the barest twitch of his lips.

Upon liftoff and signal from pilot that their headsets were disconnected from that of the pilot's, she yelled into the mic, earning her a flinch.

"What?" his voice came over the speakers as a threatening hiss.

**Bother**

"Was this all planned?" she hissed back.

"Yes."

"Were you really going to leave me in that clearing if I had not been agreeable?"

"You're still not agreeable, yet here you are," he pointed out.

"If you just call off the whole thing together, I would have been perfectly agreeable. In fact, I would not be near you at all!" She took a breath. "Given the amount of trouble you went through, why did you even bother?"

He did not look at her when he answered softly, "Knowing that you are after my money is better than wondering at motives."

* * *

**AN: Woot! Are you surprised? I'm gonna try my bestest doing 1 drabble set a week :D I was reorganizing some of my story notes. Can you believe that, after all this time, the story has only really progressed about 3 months? I keep feeling that the time is messed up - time jumps, wormholes, what have you. Hehe. Hopefully, I make better notes for myself soon :)**

**As always, thank you for your endless support. Feedback always welcome! **


	21. Glitter

**Glitter**

Bella grew pensive at hearing the words. The phrase '_Every family has its own problems_' came to mind. Even people who are rich and powerful have those 'face, meet wall' moments. Suddenly exhilarated, she whooped loudly, laughing heartily when Edward jumped in his seat. She reached over for his hand when a particularly bold urge came, and giggled more when he looked at her with guarded eyes and slapped her hand away.

"What is your problem?" he asked harshly, subtly moving away from her.

"I am happy. What is yours?" she asked back, all smiles and glitters. He looked away.

**Wave**

Edward had never felt so _relieved_ to be off of a helicopter. He didn't even know what he did or said to bring about the almost-fanatical happiness that was rolling off of Bella in waves. She was _skipping_ ahead of him, occasionally twirling around and smiling at him just _so_, that made him feel like she could see right through him. It sent a not-unpleasant shiver down his spine, and made him wonder at his sanity in keeping her so close. As they entered his office building, he felt that overwhelming relief again, when he spotted Jasper waiting. _Thank Lord_.

**Doom**

To say Jasper was surprised when Bella flounced into the CEO's office with a guarded CEO in tow would be an understatement. A million and one questions blazed through his head. Was she was the one Edward sent him on a wild goose chase for? Was she the one who went to Alice's party and single-handedly tripled the amount of donations raised that day? He shuddered, pulling Edward aside.

"She's the one? Are you sure?" he asked, feeling a smidgen of doom at the thought of Alice and how to explain.

Edward's face was slightly pale when he nodded grimly.

**Stockpiled**

The CEO's office was much the same as always, save for a ridiculous volume of newspapers stockpiled near the recycle bin. Stifling a soft chortle, she reminisced that, just days ago, the article about Edward's supposed obsession with newspapers was published. She had nothing to do with it; didn't even know until Rosalie offhandedly commented that the issue had a theme with newspapers and romance.

Curiosity took hold as she flipped through the varied stock. The _Gazette_, the _Tribune_, the _Times_... the pile had everything!

A scoff reminded her that she wasn't alone. Edward's accusatory stare explained all: _your fault_.

**Age-old**

Bella's mood changed as soon as she spotted Jasper and Edward headlocked in some serious conversation or another. Her earlier euphoria fled, and she seated herself on the plush sofas, feeling anxious.

Footsteps alerted her to their approach. She looked up as Jasper shut the door behind them. Edward looked resigned and determined, while Jasper hesitant. The air hung heavily as both men seated themselves across from her.

Age-old words rang in her mind: _If you must play, decide upon three things: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time_.

She took a deep breath, "Let's begin."

* * *

**AN: heheh... so I went on sorta a vacation for a few weeks. This was supposed to be posted about 3 weeks ago... I hope you enjoy :)**

**On another note, this whole "story time is moving 1000x slower than real time" is driving my brain nuts. It's almost like experiencing that effect in the Alicization volumes of Sword Art Online (if you know of that light novel... If not, you might want to add that to your reading lists if you're a manga/anime lover)**


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